Screaming Parker
by hopel3ss desire69
Summary: Mac meets a girl in a coffee shop, and later he see's her with Danny Messer. What's gonna happen? Mac/Oc.
1. Meet Sammie

Disclaimer: I only own Samantha Parker. CSI:NY unfortuantly isn't mine. I hope you like!!

Ships so far declared: Mac/Sam Danny/Sam(friendship) Flack/Angell

I hop you like, this is my first fic, so review and tell me what i can do to make it better! Or if i should even continue.

* * *

He hated when he was off. It sucked not having a life, and the days he had off were reminders of how pathetic he really was. He had no life, that was for sure. He could never sleep, and when he did it was only an hour or two at a time. He woke up at 5 in the morning, which was a late start for him, and he went for a three mile run. When he came home his lungs felt like they were about to burst. He hadn't run in a week since his last day off, and it killed after the second mile, but he didn't quit. He knew he needed to finish what he had said he was going to do.

Once he showered and ate a decent breakfast, he decided to head to the bookstore just two blocks from his house. He hadn't been in a while and he wanted to read something to pass his time. He picked out a book and paid for it, then headed to the coffee shop across the street.

Claire and him would come on the rare Sunday mornings he was off and sip coffee and catch up on their lives. Now he came on the Saturdays he was off to read, or sometimes just sit and think. He rarely saw anyone in there, considering Starbucks was a block over. He went to sit in his normal seat when he noticed a woman who was buried under a book. Her brown wavy hair was loosely pulled back in a ponytail. Her bangs were cut to angle on the right side of her face, and a pair of black square framed glasses sat on her eyes. She was wearing a blue sweatshirt that read UCLA in gold letters, and a pair of jeans.

Mac sat at the booth behind her and watched her as she scribbled in the margins of the book, and scrunch her face at parts she didn't like.

An hour went by and she finally noticed someone staring at her. "Uhmm, is there a problem?" She asked, setting the book down. She pulled her glasses off and folded them beside her book, then she looked back at Mac.

"What are you reading?"

"A mystery novel," she said.

"I hate them."

"Me too," she grumbled.

"Why are you reading it then?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"It's my job," she grumbled. She went to take a sip of her coffee, but spit it back out and sighed. It was too cold

Mac smiled at her and then asked if he could buy another for her. She sat for a second, contemplating his offer, and then finally agreed.

He handed her the coffee and sat down in the booth, across from her.

"Samantha Parker," she smiled.

"Mac Taylor," he replied, holding his hand out. She shook his hand, and he blushed when he felt the warmth of her flesh touch his.

He watched her heck her phone and then suddenly felt an awkward silence. Samantha looked him up and down and then realized by the serious look on his face that he probably wasn't much of a talker.

"So Mac Taylor, why were you staring at me?" She asked him.

"I didn't mean to," he blushed. He glanced at her book and then smiled. "So what exactly is your job?"

"Well, I'm an editor part-time."

"And the other part?"

"Mmm, read books to help me edit better."

"I'm a detective," he said, taking a sip of his black coffee.

"That's exciting." She closed her book and set it in her purse. "I thought you were going to say like Math teacher or something."

"Why's that?"

"You look boring."

He let out a chuckle, re-calling two peculiar women who had told him that before. Stella Bonasera was always on his back about being more exciting, and Claire Conrad Taylor had told him the day he met her that he needed to learn to have fun.

"I've been told that." He said, nodding his head.

She smiled at him and then looked down at her fingernails, which were currently painted black. She hadn't talked to a guy in a while, let alone had she been attracted to one. Talking to someone new frightened her. She wasn't always like that however; she used to be able to introduce herself to anyone. When she was younger she gave her trust to everyone. She loved everyone, and she did anything for the people in her life. She would do anything for the strangers she came across too, but she learned the hard way. She knew not to trust anyone but yourself. That she should deceive anyone that came into her life, and she shouldn't ever fall in love. Because giving up your heart, or your trust, and having someone break it was more painful than anything else in the world.

She found it ironic that she had been so strong before. She could take a hit to the face by a softball going 60 miles an hour, she could take a punch to her gut, she knew how to fight. She had scars to prove she wasn't easily broken. She was tough when it came to sports, to pain, anything but men. When it came to men she was weak. She didn't know when they were telling the truth, when they were lying, who they were, or even if they wanted anything out of her. She didn't know when a guy liked her, or when one hated her. When they thought she was beautiful, or when they classified her as their "little sister."

"But like editing books is exciting," Mac Taylor joked, jerking Samantha from her train of thoughts.

"It's not," she giggled. "But I do more exciting things with al my time off."

"Such as?" Mac raised his eyebrows at her.

"Things that are too sensitive for your ears to hear," she smirked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Mac blushed at the thought that came to his mind when she said that.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Mac Taylor."

He shook his head and smiled at her. He had to remind himself to smile sometimes. It was like he forced himself to look happy even though inside, he wasn't. And he was a pretty good actor, if he had to say so himself. The only person who wasn't ever fooled by his fake smiles, and corny laughs was Stella Bonasera.

He was actually interested in another woman. Peyton, he thought, was beautiful, but he never actually wanted to be in love with her. He loved her but he was never _in_ love with her. He loved her because she pulled him out of his shell and helped him realize there was more to it than just mourning Claire. When Peyton and him first dated she had initiated the first move. She was the one to say she was interested, the one to ask him on a date, the one to kiss him, and the one to push him on the bed and take off all of his clothes.

It hadn't been the same way with Claire. Claire had told him she was interested in him, and he nodded his head before he sat silently. Claire hated that he didn't speak with words, because she was so talkative. And she was about to tell him to say something when he kissed her. And from then on he was the first to say he loved her, and the first to ask her to move in.

Mac Taylor was shy, and everybody knew it.

* * *

Samantha Parker bit her lip as she sat next to Danny Messer at a table in a huge open room. A ballroom. She had no idea how he got her to go, but there she was, sitting with him surrounded by hundreds of cops and firefighters. She was wearing a red dress that hugged every curve on her body. It was strapless, which made her boobs look even bigger than they were. The dress fit tightly around her ass and ended just above her knees at an angle. She was wearing a pair of black high heels, which made her taller than Danny, and her hair was in loose curls that fell down her back. She wore a white gold ring on her right ring finger that had a ruby stone in the middle, and a ruby stoned necklace shaped as a heart. Her earrings that were white gold with diamond accents.

Danny had silently cursed to himself when he picked her up at her apartment. He had begged her to come, and now that she was there he wanted her to leave. He didn't want anyone hitting on her.

"Mac!" Danny said in his Staten Island accent. He stood up and hurried over to Mac.

"Hey Danny," Mac said, as Lindsay Monroe followed them to the table.

"Lindsay Monroe, Mac Taylor, this is my friend Samantha Parker," Danny beamed, sitting back down next to his sister.

Sam and Mac both blushed. The last time Mac saw Sam was last Saturday after they met at the coffee shop. They had exchanged numbers, and wound up making out on a park bench before she told him she shouldn't be "doing this."

"Hi," was all Sam said. She silently cursed Danny for bringing her here. The only reason she had agreed to come was because it was in memory of 9/11.

"No one else is here yet?" Lindsay asked Danny.

"Stella is sitting with Brendan, but no one else yet."

"Which one is Chief Shithair... I mean Sinclair?" Sam smirked.

"That's a good nickname for him," Flack winked at Sam as he approached the table.

"Hey Flack," Danny said. "Don Flack Samantha Parker."

"I have a feeling we'll get along," Flack said.

"I've heard stories about you," Sam said, shaking his hand. She had to admit he looked damn good in a tux. "Didn't you like save Danny from becoming an asshole?" She smirked.

"That's not funny," Danny whined.

"I like her," Flack chuckled, running his hand over his unshaven chin.

"Good," Sam smiled.

"Sammie is a bit of a wise-ass."

"Wonder where I get it," Sam smirked. "We've known each other since 3rd grade." She explained to the three.

"Wow, Danny could make friends in third grade?" Lindsay smiled.

"No," Sam said. "See what happened is his brother Louie hung around my brother Tommy, and they made us play together. Danny was a dork in third grade all the way up to 7th. But somehow he managed to be my best friend. I used to make him play with Barbie dolls."

"Sammie," Danny groaned.

"Nope, you called me Sammie," she smiled. "Now you're going down."

"What else do you got on him?" Mac asked, finally joining the playful conversation.

"Well Danny punched his own brother in the face one time because Louie and me dated way back when for like, how long, Danny?"

"Seven months," Danny grumbled.

"Right, seven months. And then Louie broke up with me for some little tramp and Danny punched him dead in the jaw. Look, Danny show them the bite mark."

"Bite mark?" Mac asked.

"Louie bit him right on his finger. Show 'em Danny." Danny showed the guys at the table his finger with a disgruntled sigh. "That was a damn good fight, I must say. Danny kicked Louie's ass though."

"Are you done embarrassing me yet?" Danny sighed.

"For now." She smiled.

"Linds, wanna Dance?" Danny asked.

Lindsay blushed and stood up. She followed Danny onto the dance floor and Sam smiled. "He looks happy," Sam observed as she watched him spin her in circles.

"I'll be back," Flack said, standing up. "I'm going to try and find Angell."

Mac and Sam were left alone at the table. They were sitting directly across from each other, but managed to ignore eye contact with one another.

"You and Danny aren't dating?" Mac finally asked. He hated talking first. He hated talking period.

"No. He's like a big brother."

"Big? How old are you?"

"33. Danny's the same age I just always say big brother."

"I'm…I'm 44," He whispered, picking at the tablecloth. "Is that why you took off?"

"No," she whispered. "If you didn't get the hint that I dated Louie for seven months in high school, I have a shitty life."

"But you said Danny…"

"Had a shitty life with me too. We were both the youngest in our families, and we saw the damage the Tanglewood had on our brothers, but that doesn't mean we didn't have a bad life." She explained. "We only had each other as kids."

Mac nodded his head.

"I took off because I realized something. I don't trust you, and I won't be able to."

* * *

Do you like it so far?? I hope so!! Review please and tell me what you think!! Should I continue or just leave it?


	2. Rain

_Hey guys, thanks for the reviews and the help! I'm glad everyone likes Sam._

_Disclaimer: I only own Samantha, Timmy, Tommy, and Leonardo Parker._

_Declared ships so far: Mac/Sam(friendship)_ Danny/Sam_(friendship)_ Danny/Lindsay_(friendship.) _Mac/Claire Mac/Peyton, Mac/Stella_(Friendship)_

* * *

Mac could tell that Flack had been disturbed as he, Sheldon, and Danny approached the crime scene tape. There was no doubt in his mind that this was going to be a hard case. Flack rarely ever got upset over a case, but Mac knew by the attitude he was giving the uniforms, he was pissed off. That was when he noticed the body lying on the ground. It was a little girl, no older than 7, no younger than 6. She had blonde hair, her eyes were shut, and Mac could see blood in her open mouth.

"How some cold-hearted bastard can do this to a kid is beyond me, Mac," Flack growled as he clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth.

"What's her name?" Mac asked, holding in his anger as best he could. As pissed off as he was that a child sat before him, he couldn't let it get to him. He knew the only thing he could do was find her killer, and put him behind bars.

But he also understood Flack's anger. Seeing a dead child made him uneasy. Mac was the same way and it took all of his strength not to get overworked.

"Oh my God," Danny spoke, as he crouched before the body.

"Her name is Anna Riley. Six years old. Her mother is in the apartment with a Uni," Flack explained.

"This is sick shit, Mac," Danny replied, as he watched Sheldon Hawkes pull the blanket from the little girl. She wasn't wearing any clothes, and in courtesy everyone turned away while Hawkes explained she had three stab wounds to the chest.

"Danny, take pictures. Flack, see if you can't find the father. Ask the mother if she knows of anyone in the building who is a bit off. I want a list of names on my desk. No one rests until this girl's killer is found."

"You got it, boss," Danny said, nodding his head, a thousand thoughts running through his mind at once. Mac better hope he didn't find the douche bag first and kill him with his bare hands the second he could. He hated the cases with the young children.

* * *

When Danny got back to the lab, he handed the evidence Mac had collected to Adam Ross and Kendall Novak. And then he went in the locker room and locked himself in a stall.

He pulled out his cell phone and called Sam. She didn't pick up, so he called her house phone. There still was no answer.

"God, damn it Sam," he sighed, punching the door to the stall. His phone began to ring and he picked it up. "Sammie."

"Hey sorry I was putting the baby to sleep," Sam responded. Danny let out a deep breath. "What's up?"

"I was just calling to make sure you and Lee were okay," He explained, running a hand through his hair.

"We're fine. Is there a reason you were worried?"

"Ugh, yeah," he sighed. "I don't know, I'm working this case and it made me think of Lee."

"Okay," She said in a reassuring voice. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nah, I just wanted to see if you guys were alright."

"Perfect," she smiled. "You know, he's got Tim's eyes?"

"Yeah I knew," Danny smiled. "The only thing good your Pop gave him and Tom were those eyes."

"Agreed," Sam smiled. "I gotta go, I've got to clean the dishes and do the laundry if Lee's gonna have clothes for tomorrow. Are you off? We're going to the zoo."

"Of course. I'll take you guys to Ray's after."

"Alright, bye. Love you."

"Me too." He hung up the phone and headed towards the lab. He sat down next to Adam and helped him analyze evidence.

Mac entered with a stern look on his face, and turned to Adam. "Get any hits on the fingerprints?"

"Not yet, boss," Adam, said.

"That's your first priority. I don't care what comes in I want a name, got it?"

"Sure thing."

Mac was about to turn to Danny when his phone rang. "Taylor," he said, ignoring the i.d.

"Hi," Sam whispered.

"Can I call you back in five minutes?" Mac asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Sure," she said.

He hung up and turned back to Danny. "Make sure you lift everything and anything off this evidence. I'm going downstairs to try and identify the murder weapon."

"You got it," Danny nodded his head, and grabbed a lab coat. He hated gathering evidence and analyzing it. It gave him too much time to think, and he hated thinking. He would play different possibilities in his head how the victim could have died, and each scenario was painful. Cases with the little children and the young women ate at him when he ran these sick ideas through his head. Each scenario made him want to snap. If it was one thing he hated in the world, was a man who disrespected women, and hurt their children. He and Louie had stuck up to their father when he tried to hit their mom, and he vowed that if he ever saw a man hit a woman again, he'd make sure that man went to Sing Sing for life.

* * *

Mac sat down in his office, and pulled his cell phone out. He was debating whether or not to call Samantha back. He didn't understand this woman, she told him the night before that she didn't want to date him, and now she was calling him at ten at night. But for some reason or another, he called her back.

"Hello?" she called into the phone.

"It's Mac," he said.

"Oh, hey."

"Is there a reason you called?" he asked, cutting to the chase. He hated making small talk, especially when he knew there was a reason for her call.

"Yeah, I wanted to apologize for last night. I was kind of bitchy."

"I'd say," he chuckled.

"It's not that I don't trust you, I just have… baggage. A lot of baggage."

"Like what?"

"That's something to get into another day. But maybe we could start on a clean slate?"

"Sure."

"Alright, I'm busy tomorrow, maybe Sunday or Monday?"

"Monday's good. I get off at 7. We can grab a cup of coffee."

"Sounds good."

"Samantha?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't think this means I'm a pushover."

"Of course not," she smirked hanging up her cell phone.

The word "baggage" always scared people who were in relationships. It scared him when Claire had said "I've got some skeletons in my closet," and when Peyton explained she couldn't have children, that was something he was scared of at first, but had gotten over it. He knew that he should have run when Samantha said she had baggage, but then again, he also had baggage. He had a dead wife, and a stepson who more than likely didn't want him to date. He had a job that couldn't guarantee he'd come home, and he wasn't the romantic type. The type to randomly bring home flowers just because. He didn't use his words, and women did. He knew Samantha was a talker just by watching her go on and on at the event last night. She wouldn't shut the hell up. He figured it was her way of dealing with a group of strangers, but he couldn't be sure. The only thing he knew for sure was she was very young, and as she put it, she had a lot of "baggage."

* * *

"Dan!" Leonardo Parker shrieked. He climbed out of his chair, and ran to Danny, clinging his arms around Danny's leg.

"Hey Slugger, ready for the zoo?" Danny asked, picking Lee up. Lee was wearing a pair of faded jeans, and a Mets shirt with a blue hat that read Mets across it. Danny turned the hat sideways and put Lee down.

"Yeah," Lee said, walking back to the kitchen.

"What animal do you want to see babe?" Sam asked when Danny walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl to make cereal for himself.

"Lion!" Lee smiled.

"Do you know what Leonardo means in Italian, bud?" Danny asked.

"Lion!" Leo smiled.

"Can you keep an eye on him while I change?" Sam asked, setting the dishtowel she was holding into the sink.

"Harry," Leo said, getting up and sitting on Danny's lap.

"I'll be quick, bud," she said, taking his hat and sticking it on her head.

"Hey!" Leo squealed, reaching for his hat. "Mam!"

"What?"

"Hat!"

"This is my hat."

"Mine."

Sam smiled and put Leo's hat back on him. She hurried into the bathroom and changed into a pair of jeans and a Mets shirt to match Danny and Leo, and then brushed her teeth. She knew it was going to be a long day with a two year old that never saw a lion before, and a 30 year old trapped in a five year old's body.

* * *

Sam was sitting in the same booth she had when she first met Mac. She had been waiting for about ten minutes when he finally strolled in.

"Sorry I'm late, I got caught up at work," Mac said sitting across from her.

"It's cool," Sam smiled. "I got you black. That's what you had last time," she said handing him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks." He said, handing her a ten.

"Keep it."

He nodded his head and took a sip of his coffee.

"I love the rain," she smiled when she saw him shed his jacket off. "I like to walk in it and just think."

"I have a co-worker like that," he said nodding his head. "Her name is Lindsay."

"Monroe," Sam nodded her head. "Danny has a crush on her."

"He has a crush on everyone."

Sam couldn't help but giggle and that made Mac smile slightly.

"So, can you tell me what this 'baggage' is?" Mac asked, putting air quotes around the word baggage.

"I guess I can," she said, and he noticed the smile wipe from her face. "Well, my nephew lives with me. He's two. I take care of him and my brother, Timmy who is 18."

"That's your baggage?" Mac said, taking a breath. He had been scared she was going to say something like she had a husband back in Texas waiting for her, and this was a relief to the thoughts he had had earlier.

"I feed two kids, and that doesn't bother you?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "I have a two year old and an 18 year old to look after twenty-four/seven, my house is loaded with baby diapers and binkies, I can sing every word to every Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, Jack's Music Show, Barney, and Backyardigans song ever created, and my 18 year old brother has to ask _me_ permission to go out on Friday nights. None of that bothers you?"

"You have responsibilities in life, who doesn't?"

"Just out of curiosity, how many women have you dated that have children?"

"None," he admitted.

"Exactly," she said.

"People have things they have to deal with. I'm sure taking care of your brother and son isn't the only thing you have responsibility to. Samantha, I have problems too. I lost my wife to 9/11."

"You… you did?"

"Now I don't go around telling people that, but you need to understand you aren't the only person in this world with troubles. I'm not saying I like you because I don't. Not yet at least because I don't know you. I'm saying that I want to get to know you and see if I do like you."

Sam bit her lip and nodded her head at what Mac had told her. She understood what he was saying. She knew she didn't like him either because she didn't know him, but she was attracted to him. There was something about him that she liked. He had strong arms, which she had been drawn into the day she met him, and his teeth were white which was something she couldn't stand when she saw yellow teeth.

"Okay," she finally said, nodding her head.

"So, we'll take this slow and whatever happens, happens."

"Deal," she said, drinking the last of her coffee and throwing it into the bin that was ten feet away from their table.

"She shoots, she scores," Mac chuckled, throwing his and missing.

"_He_ shoots. _He_ misses," she smirked. "Some jobs should be left to the women."

"I bet Danny could beat your ass in basketball."

"Baseball, he could, but basketball, _never_." She said, standing up. Mac helped her put her jacket on, and they headed out into the September rain.

Claire hated rain, and Peyton hadn't been a huge fan of it either, so this was new for Mac. He'd never walked in the city rain voluntarily walking towards nothing. The shocking thing for him, was that he loved it. He loved the feel of the rain as it dropped on his face, and the way it made him feel calm. He had never thought of the rain as a relaxing therapy, but it was. He felt refreshed when he dropped Sam off at her apartment two hours later and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He thanked her for the coffee, and headed back out in the rain.

* * *

_Hope you guys liked it. The next chapter is almost finished hope to update within the next two or three days._


	3. The Zoo

_Hey guys, it's been awhile, I kind of got stuck on how I was going to write Mac and Leo out in the same scene, but I finally figured it out. There is a lot of dialogue in this chapter, which I didn't mean, but it sort of happened. So next chapter I'll try not to write as much. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I only own the Parkers._

_Declared ships so far: Mac/Sam_ Danny/Sam_(friendship)_ Danny/Lindsay_(friendship.) _Mac/Claire Mac/Peyton, Mac/Stella_(Friendship)

* * *

_Stella Bonasera saw Mac sitting at his desk, so she headed for his office. She entered and realized he was on the phone. He held up a finger to silence her and continued talking. "Okay…. I get done at noon tomorrow, hopefully… yeah that will work… see you then."

"Who was that?" Stella asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"What do you need?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"You have been very smiley and nice these past two weeks, and today you are extra smiley. What's this girl's name?" she asked, sitting on the other side of his desk.

"Who says it has to be a girl I'm smiling about?" Mac asked, setting his elbows on his desk.

"I know you, Mac Taylor," Stella responded.

"I've been having coffee with a woman lately. That's all it is for right now."

"Hold old is she? What's she do? Is she cute? Have you told her about Claire?"

"One question at a time," Mac chuckled. "She is a book editor, she is beautiful, and she knows_ of_ Claire, but that's it we haven't talked about her yet. And she's a little younger."

"How young?"

"33…" he said, scratching his chin.

"That's like eleven years."

"I know." Mac said, nodding his head.

"As long as you know," Stella shrugged.

"I do, so you can stop pestering me, thank you."

"Have fun with your girlfriend," Stella chuckled, heading out the door.

Mac sat back down in his chair, and let out a sigh. He was going to meet Leo for the first time. He was going to pick him and Samantha up, take them out for the day, and if he hit it off with Lee, he was hoping she'd invited him in even just for a few minutes.

It had been two weeks since he found out she was mothering two children, and since then he had gained a respect for her. Despite the fact caring for a two year old and making sure an 18 year old learned to become a good father, she managed to stay strong and find time to sit down and have a cup of coffee with him. He learned that her mother left her and her brothers when Timmy was born. She was 15, and her two older brothers, Scotty was 20, Tommy was 17. Her father had become an alcoholic shortly after, leaving her to raise a newborn, and make sure her older brothers didn't wind up in jail with Sonny Sassone. He understood why she was cautious because she had been taught that people couldn't love. She was the complete opposite, however. She loved Lee and Tim like they were her own children. He knew that she smiled even on her worst day, and that based on her past she could put up a fight of her own. He had learned that she hated when anyone but him called her Samantha, and that she blushed when he slipped up and called her Sammie. But he had so much more to learn about her.

XXXXX

Sam sat down on the arm of the black couch that sat in her living room. She tied her yellow and gray sneakers, and smiled at Leo who was sitting next to their babysitter, Adrianne. She pulled her hair back and brushed cat hair off her plain black shirt. She grabbed a Mets hat and set it on her head. "Hat or no hat?" She asked Adrianne.

"No hat," Adrianne replied. "Here, your foundation." Adrianne rubbed in Sam's cover up on her chin.

"Thanks," Sam said.

"So what's this guy do?" Adrianne asked, handing Leo a block for his tower.

"He's a detective,"

"So does he have handcuffs?"

"Dirty," Sam retorted.

"_You're_ dirty."

"I know," Sam giggled. There was a knock at the door and Sam jumped up.

"I got it," Adrianne said running to the door.

"A!" Sam shrieked, trying to push her out of the way, but Adrianne won.

"Hi, you must be_ Detective_ Taylor," Adrianne smiled, allowing Mac in. "I'm the babysitter. Can I see your gun?"

"Adrianne," Sam scolded. "She's kidding," Sam said turning to Mac. "Adrianne, Mac. Mac Adrianne. Lee this is Mr. Mac."

"Hi," Leo said, throwing a toy train at Adrianne, who caught it.

"Keep her on a leash. She's dangerous," Adrianne smirked.

"We'll be back," Sam smiled, picking Leo up. "Call me when you leave and when you get home."

"Will do, I'll probably leave in about an hour or so. I'll finish the laundry if you want."

"It's fine I'll do it when I get home."

"Alright, don't worry when you get back I'll be gone and your delicious chicken will be eaten."

"Money's on the counter."

Sam followed Mac out the door with Leo in her arms. "Sorry about Adrianne."

"What's in here?" Mac asked, taking the bag Sam was carrying. He pressed the button for the elevator.

"Two year old things," Sam smiled. "Diapers, sippy cups, goldfish."

"Fish?" Leo asked, tilting his head.

"You just had goldfish baby," Sam brushed Leo's unruly hair from his face, making a mental note that she needed to take him to get it cut.

"More, Mam," Leo sighed.

"More? You're still hungry?" Leo nodded his head.

"Sippy."

"Sippy or Fish?"

"Sippy," Leo sad reaching for the bag Mac had. Mac opened the bag and looked for a sippy cup. He found one and handed it to Leo.

"Say thank you, Lee."

"Tank," Lee said taking a sip from his cup.

"Your welcome, buddy," Mac smiled. Sam stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to the lobby. "So Adrianne's the babysitter?"

"Yeah," Sam smiled. "If you haven't noticed I'm the mother goose around here. I met Adrianne last year. She was 17. Her father committed suicide when she was a baby, and she doesn't get along with her step-mom. So I offered her a steady job. She comes Monday through Friday after school and eats dinner and then goes home. And sometimes she spends the night."

"Hmm," Mac said. "How come you just don't convince her step-mom to let you adopt her?"

"You always have questions. Maybe some things are better left unanswered."

"Maybe. But I like to know as much as I can."

"She doesn't need me to adopt her to be happy, she just needs a place to go when she can't deal with her step-mother."

"Okay. So where are we going?"

Where do you want to go Lee," Sam asked.

"Lions!" Lee said with excitement. "Lions, Mam!"

"Up for the zoo?" Sam asked Mac.

"Sure," he said.

"I go to the zoo at least once a week. We were just there Saturday."

"I take it Leo loves lions?" Mac asked.

"Ever since he found out his name means brave as a lion," Sam chuckled.

Mac nodded his head and let Sam walk out of the elevator first. She smiled at the man behind the reception desk. "Hey Miss Parker," he smiled back.

"Eddie," Sam said. "How's Jenna?"

"Just had the baby last night."

"Oh yeah, boy or girl?"

"Girl. No name yet."

"What about Sam?" Sam winked.

"Actually we were thinkin' bout Elizabeth."

"I'm glad you're always thinkin' bout me."

"Of course I am, take care. See you Leo."

"Bye Ed!" Leo said, waving behind Sam's head.

Mac hailed a cab for them with ease, which had impressed Sam. She always had trouble trying to catch one, and eventually she would give up and take the subway.

"I sit outside for twenty minutes and I can't get a cab. You do it in twenty seconds," Sam said, scooting over for Mac to climb in. "How is that? I'm the one with the boobs."

"I'm just good," Mac said, closing the door behind him.

"Well I hope some of your magic wipes off on me."

"Mam," Leo said, handing the cup to her.

"Finished?" Sam asked. Leo nodded his head.

"Lions, Mam?" Leo asked, bouncing on Sam's leg.

"Yup, in a few minutes babe."

Leo smiled the biggest smile Mac had ever seen from a kid. He turned around sitting patiently on Sam's lap, something else Mac had never seen from a kid as young as Leo. Two year olds were usually jumpy and whiny. He knew that because he had dealt with plenty of them when mothers and fathers were held for questioning, or were killed.

He even babysat one of Claire's friend's babies when she was alive. The baby was three, and Mac wanted to down a whole bottle of wine after Claire's friend took the kid back. It had thrown a block at him and cut his forehead when Claire told him he couldn't have ice cream for dinner, and cried for three hours before Claire could get him to sleep. But Leo was so patient, and knew how to keep himself occupied at just two years. It amazed him how the influence of adults could change the way someone acted.

XXXXXXXXXX

Samantha watched Mac pick Leo up and set him on his shoulder so he could see the lions better, the same way she watched Danny every week. He was smiling, which made Sam smile. Leo was waving at the lions, and pointing at them as they moved.

"Mam, look!" Leo shouted. He looked down from Mac's shoulder and patted Sam's head.

"I see," Sam said, standing on her tiptoes. She watched one of the lions pick up a ball in his mouth and throw his head up in the air, and smiled when Leo let out a giggle.

"Do I need to pick you up to?" Mac smirked, when he looked at Sam standing on her toes, her neck stretched.

"Ha-ha, funny." She rolled her eyes and set her feet on the ground.

"Mam, fish?" Leo asked, as Mac easily moved him from his shoulder to his hip. Sam walked on the opposite side of Mac and reached into the diaper bag. She pulled out a Ziploc bag filled with goldfish and handed one to Leo.

"Want some?" Sam asked popping three into her mouth.

"I'm fine, thanks," Mac replied.

"What do you wanna see next, bud?" She turned to face Leo who was clearly happy that Mac had volunteered to carry him.

"Eff-ants," Leo said after a few seconds of thinking.

Mac looked at Sam, "Is he saying Elephants or ants?"

"Elephants," she said skipping away from him. He followed a few feet behind her until she turned around to grab his hand. She dragged him to the elephant site and stopped once she reached them. Mac set Leo back on his shoulder so he could see the elephants.

"Mam!" Leo shrieked. "Tail!" He pointed to the elephant that twirled its tail.

"Yup," Sam smiled. Leo started rambling in his own language and Mac let out a chuckle.

"He sure loves the zoo," Mac said.

"I know," Sam sighed. "I've been here about a hundred times. It's amazing how kids never get tired of anything."

"Would you like to know why children never get tired of something they love?" Mac asked.

Sam figured he was going to give her a scientific explanation about the way their brain worked, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings, so she prepared herself for something she wouldn't understand, "Sure," she said, looking up at Mac.

"Their brains aren't matured so their entertained easier than adults. They don't get tired of anything because to them it's always new."

"Interesting," she replied, nodding her head. "Lee you wanna see the giraffes now?" Leo nodded his head.

Mac set Leo back on his side and followed Sam to the giraffes. "Mam, ice?"

"Ice cream?" Sam asked Leo. Leo nodded his head, while Mac pulled out his wallet.

"I've got some cash. We can go to a custard stand on the way home," he offered.

"You don't have to pay," Sam said. "But we _can_ go to a custard stand."

"You bought coffee the last time, my turn to buy," he said.

"'Nakes, Mam, 'nakes," Leo interrupted, pointing to the reptile house.

Sam let out a groan and slowly walked towards the reptile alongside Mac.

"You're not running to the reptile house?" Mac asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"I_ hate_ that place," Sam replied.

"Why? They're all in glass."

"So!" She said, her eyes going bug-eyed. "What if one of those poisonous snakes gets out and bites someone?" she was serious, but Mac couldn't help but laugh at her. "It's not funny!" she smacked his arm and Leo cut in.

"No!" Leo said, pointing at her. "No, hit."

"Yeah, Samantha, no hitting," Mac laughed.

"Sorry, Lee," Sam replied.

"I'll take him in if you want."

"I'll go," she said, opening the door to the reptile house. Mac led the way, with Sam breathing down his back the whole time. Leo watched the snakes and lizards with a smile, while Sam walked around with one eye closed, and the other eye half opened so she could see where she was going, while Mac laughed at her. He had purposefully stopped at the boa constructor's cage to watch her reaction.

"Oh my God!" she had shrieked when she peeked from behind Mac's shoulder. "It's freaking huge, oh my God its gonna break that freaking cage!" She gripped the back of his shirt as tight as she could, her nails practically digging into his back.

"How, it doesn't have teeth, it strangles its victims first," Mac explained calmly, with an amused look on his face.

"It'll head butt the glass! Look at the size of his head! Look at its eyes, it's evil. It's contemplating which one of us he'll squeeze first when he gets out," she replied, hiding behind Mac. "Hurry let's get out of her before it kills us."

Mac let out a chuckle before headed towards the exit.

"How can you be scared of snakes?" he asked.

"I just am," she shrugged, as they left the reptile house. She had let go of Mac's shirt and was calm, like they hadn't even been in there.

"Ice," Leo said.

"We're going bud," Sam said, as they left the zoo.

XXXXXXXX

Sam set Leo in his crib and turned out the light. He had fallen asleep on the walk home after he finished his vanilla ice cream. Mac slowly gave Leo to Sam and she quietly walked into his room. She leaned her head against the doorframe and watched him sleep for a minute before she closed the door and walked into the living room where Mac was standing.

"You're allowed to sit," she told him, plopping down on the couch. He slowly nodded his head and sat down next to her.

"Is he out?" Mac asked.

She nodded her head and then pulled her hair scrunchy out. "Are you hungry? I cooked chicken and some Spanish rice earlier for Adrianne. I can heat it up."

"That sounds good, thanks," he smiled.

She stood up and headed for the kitchen. She opened the fridge and rummaged through it until she pulled out two containers. She took the lids off and set one in the microwave while she grabbed two plates.

"So, Timmy lives with you too?" Mac asked, sitting down at the kitchen table.

Sam glanced at him and then nodded her head. "He's with Scotty this weekend. They go to this boat show in Miami once a year." She set a plate in front of Mac, and then sat down across from him. "I usually go, but I haven't the past three years. Leo's too young for the plane ride."

"Tim's lucky you take care of him and Leo."

Sam nodded her head. "Yeah."

They ate the rest of their food in a comfortable silence before Mac had gotten called into work. It was the first time in a long time he wished he didn't have to go in, but he had to. So he thanked her for dinner and told her he had a great time, and left. Sam, disappointed with how the night ended, plopped down on her couch and put a movie in. Ten minutes later she was almost asleep when she heard a knock at her door. She stood up to answer it.

He had stood outside her door for Ten minutes mumbling to himself, wondering if he should just leave, or if he should go back and kiss her. It wasn't an actual date, he knew that, but he also knew they both had feelings for each other. Or at least he hoped she liked him. It had been two weeks of coffee, and nothing else. He enjoyed her company, but he was ready to see if there was something more. It was a bold move for him, considering Peyton was the one that made the first move, and he had no idea how he should play this out. Did he just kiss her, or was he supposed to say something first? And what happened when he finished? Was he going to just walk away without saying a word, or was he supposed to say something. And what was he supposed to say to her?

"Who is it?" Sam asked, a habit she'd picked up after she watched her father open the door one day only to get stabbed in the gut by a gangbanger.

"Mac," Mac replied, breaking his train of thought. He stood on the other side of the door; hands stuffed in his pockets, waiting for Sam to answer, his cheeks turning red.

When she opened the door she smiled and then glanced back at her apartment. "Did you forget something?" She asked, looking for something that wasn't hers. She couldn't find anything out of place, so she turned around to face Mac.

"Yeah," he whispered, stepping closer to her. "I forgot to give you a kiss," he gently placed a kiss to her lips, and cupped her face in his hands. He pulled away after just a few seconds, and smiled at her. "I'll call you when I get off work," he replied, shocked that he had known what to say.

She nodded her head and closed the door, then leaned against it and pressed her fingers to her lips. It hadn't been a long make out session, it was just a quick gentle, one, but she was still surprised that he had done it.


	4. Widowers

_A/N:_ Hey, this is a short, quick chapter, but It's very important! I wrote half of this on Thursday, and the other half about three ago after getting back from NYC, so Ray's Pizza's adress is actually legate for the most part. It _was_ on Broadway somewhere between 56th and 50th I can't quite remember. Also the grill i was talking about is near Penn Station, it was called Seattle's fish and grill, I think it was 35th street, once again i am not positive, but anyway, I wanted to post this before the next chapter which I had origionally written before this. It's short, I know, but I think it helps explain Mac a bit.

I also got this cool pen from the CBS store! haha. It's like a needle and it has red liquid like blood, and you push the top and the pen opens and it says CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, it's pretty neat. That was the best 2.99 I ever spent.

_Disclaimer:_ Nothing is mine, other than Sam!

_Ships_: Mac/Claire Mac/Peyton, and Mac/Sam

* * *

"You killed your boyfriend, Brianna!" Mac yelled at the blonde sitting in front of him. His face was red, and he was tired. He'd been at this case since four in the morning. It was now five P.M., and they had figured out Brianna Georgas killed her boyfriend, Jack Linden.

"You don't understand what it's like!" Brianna yelled, tears coming down her face. Mac slowly sat down, biting the inside of his cheek.

"I'm listening," he said, relaxing a bit.

"I was always second! He said he loved me, but he didn't. I was second best to a dead woman! He loved a ghost, and I was sick of it."

"You killed him because he was in love with his wife," Mac laughed pathetically.

"Think of it this way," she said with a smug look on her face. She leaned towards Mac and whispered in his ear. "They can be together forever now."

He threw the chair across the room, and it slammed against the wall where Stella and Flack were watching on the opposite side. Flack came into the interrogation room, to relieve Mac.

"Get her out of here," Mac yelled, his face bright red. He stormed out of the room, ignoring Stella, walking through the bullpen, and outside to the New York streets.

She was right, it wasn't fair that she came second to a dead person. It wasn't fair that anyone should come second to someone else who wasn't alive, that included Samantha.

He pulled the collar of his jacket up to protect his neck from the winds, and stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep them from freezing. September had come and gone, and October was already making the city cold.

He was genuinely pissed that a woman could kill someone because he had never gotten over his wife. It made him scared that one day he'd date a bitch like her and she'd try to kill him, and he hoped to God Samantha wouldn't be like that.

He didn't know where he was going, he wanted to get away from the world, but knew that was impossible. He wanted to be with Claire again, even just for a minute. He wanted to kiss her one more time, feel her skin, hear her voice, say goodbye, and tell her he loved her one last time. He wanted to watch her smile again; he wanted to have one more minute with her, just one more. They'd left things off great when she died, but he still had trouble getting over her death.

She was his first real love; they'd met in college and were joined at the hip since day one. He loved her; she was smart, funny, goofy, and gorgeous. She made him melt every time she touched him, or addressed him in public as her husband. They were married, she was proud of him, she wanted to show him off, and that made his world.

Stella had told Mac once that he was lucky to find her, to be so happy, and he shouldn't ever let it go, but he did. It all went away eight years ago on 9/11. He thought Stella was right, he'd never find love like that again. Peyton was a different love, he loved her for showing him there was something out there in life for him, Claire had been it, no one was going to take her spot, not even Samantha Parker.

Samantha Parker was winning his heart, even though she didn't know it. It had been exactly 13 days since he kissed her after they went to the zoo with Leo, and he'd only kissed her two other times. They'd only had one real date, and he hadn't seen her in five days, hadn't called her in four. He was a dick, he knew it. But he was scared. He would look at her one dimpled smile, and he felt something turn inside him. He wasn't sure what, but it felt good. He didn't go for girls with piercings, or tattoos. He didn't go for young girls period, but he liked Sam. She had a purple flower tattoo set in the middle of her lower back, and as far as he was concerned there was another one on her right hip. She had three piercings in her ears, and a belly button ring. Claire never even had her ears pierced. It had amazed Mac Taylor how incredibly wrong Samantha was for him, but how right it felt.

* * *

Mac Taylor found himself standing outside his old apartment. The one he and Claire had lived in for almost eleven years. They met the fall of '90, and married the summer of '95 after Claire graduated. Claire was 28, Mac was 30. They bought the house in 1993, when Mac had a job offer in New York City. Claire happily moved to the Big Apple with him, and ever since then they'd been together. Until September 2001.

He realized at that moment that he and Peyton never moved in together. She had brought it up once and he told her no automatically. He couldn't bear the thought of sharing a house with another woman. It had taken him six years to just get used to waking up next to someone other than Claire, and he had a feeling it would be another six until he could live with someone, if anyone wanted to date him at the age of 50. He was getting older faster with each year, it felt like just a few days ago he was saying goodbye to his family as he joined the marines, but the truth was it had been 26 years. He was 44 years old, and alone. His little sister was 38, married, and had three kids, and he was alone. It pissed him off more than ever because he shouldn't have been. It should have been him and Claire until _he _died. His job was the dangerous one he was the one that should have went first. It wasn't fair that she left before him.

He slowly made his way home, stopping at a street vendor for dinner. He ate his two hotdogs and then caught a cab for the rest of the way.

* * *

Mac Taylor showed up at Samantha's door the next night, without notice. He was nervous, he hadn't talked to her in almost a week, and he was showing up unannounced. She was probably going to tell him to get lost, that she was dating someone else, or maybe even say he was an asshole. It had taken him a few minutes to gather up the nerves to knock on her door, and two minutes later he heard someone yelling on the other side of the door. _She's drunk, she got drunk and now she's fucking someone because I was too stupid not to call her,_ Mac thought as he heard someone laughing now. The door flung open, and a blonde woman opened the door, a beer in her hand.

"Who the hell are you?" The blonde asked, squinting in front of Mac. "You don't look like the stripper we ordered. SAM! You ordered a dud!"

"A what?" Sam yelled back. Mac could see her back facing him. She was in the kitchen, probably pouring more drinks. There were more women dancing and singing in the living room, and Mac realized he was about to be bombarded by horny women if Sam didn't save him.

"The stripper's a dud!" The woman yelled again.

"I didn't order a stripper, Dee," Sam sighed turning around. She handed another girl a beer and then walked to the door. She stopped in her tracks when she realized Mac was standing in the doorway, a disappointing look on his face. "Mac?" she asked, shutting the door behind her so they were alone in the hallway. "What's up? Everything alright?"

"Yeah," Mac said nodding his head.

Sam watched him for what seemed like minutes but was only a few seconds. "Oh, I was just asking I haven't heard from you in a while. You just showed up without any notice. Danny's alright?"

"Yeah, I know," Mac said, nodding his head once again.

"Danny?" Sam asked, raising her eyebrow.

"He's fine," he assured Sam. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, as he looked at his feet.

"Okay, well I got the hint a few days ago when you stood me up," she firmly crossed her arms and glared at Mac. "There really isn't a need to tell me in person."

Mac looked up from the floor. "What?"

"Uhmm, we were going to meet at Penn Station at 8 and then walk to the grill on 35th?"

Mac's mouth dropped when she reminded him of their plans from two nights ago. He had completely forgotten. He didn't even call to tell her he was at work. That was the thing with Sam. She understood if he couldn't make it, but she hated not being told. Danny had done it tons of times with her, and the only time she ever got pissed off was when he forgot to call and reschedule.

"Oh my God," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his right hand, his left still in his jacket pocket. "I'm sorry I was at work I completely forgot to call you and tell you I couldn't go."

Half of what he had just told Samantha was a lie. He wasn't at work. He had just forgotten, but even if he remembered he knew he would have stood her up. He was scared of getting hurt again.

Sam let out a chuckle. "I may not be a _detective_, but I know when I'm being lied to, so please save it for someone who will forgive you when you lie."

"My job requires me to stay late at work and go in on days I have off," Mac explained.

"I know that," Sam said coolly. "But that doesn't mean you were working Thursday."

Mac sighed, and nodded his head as he stuck his hand back into its designated spot in his pocket.

"Look I get it, you don't like me it's not a big deal. Just please don't lie to me." Sam turned around and turned the doorknob to enter her apartment when she heard Mac's reply.

"I do like you, Sammie," he told her. "I'm just scared."

"Of what?" she asked, turning around.

"I fell in love with my wife, and she died. I fell in love with a co-worker and she moved to London. I don't have luck with the whole relationship thing."

She nodded her head. "So you aren't the risk type?" she asked him, watching him slowly shake his head. "Then to be honest, I don't think we'd get along. Because if we were to get serious I would haul you around to do crazy things with me like bungee jumping, and swimming with dolphins, and snorkeling with sharks, and other spur of the moment crazy shit like getting a crazy piercing, or running down Central Park half naked."

Mac raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "You've done all of this?" he asked her.

"Save the running down Central Park and swimming with sharks and dolphins."

"You're right, I'm too old for you anyway."

"Age has nothing to do with willingness to go streaking," she grinned. "All I'm saying is if you like me you should know that I like to do crazy shit. Ask Danny about our trip to Mexico."

"Do I want to know?" Mac chuckled.

"I don't think so," she giggled. "I gotta get back to this party."

"I'll pick you up tomorrow, I swear. 8. Don't wear anything fancy. We'll get some pizza at Ray's on Broadway and 53rd."

"I know where it is," she told him, leaving him in her hallway as she headed back for her cousin's bachelorette party.

He felt relieved she wasn't on a date, or that she didn't hate him for standing her up, and he was glad she accepted his make up date. Things for him always started off like this, he was always so nervous about starting a new relationship, and this was no different. It wasn't like he could just say "Hey, I'm nervous about dating you because my wife died and left me completely heartbroken, with pieces scattered everywhere. Pieces that you can't put together, that you can't fix, or that you can't fill. Sorry I'm a fucked up person and you'll just have to deal." But despite the fact he wouldn't say it, that's how he felt. That's how all widows felt.


	5. Wooo Baby

**Hey guys! I'd just like to say thanks for all the reviews. **

**Disclaimer: Only Sam is mine.**

**Ships for this chapter: Mac/Sam **

**Leave me some reviews!!! Please and thanks.**

* * *

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**

She sat in the center of her bed Indian style, gripping the photograph for dear life. She hadn't actually looked at it for months, but she thought about it every day. It never got any easier, like everyone promised it would. She had learned to move on, to pretend like she had forgotten about it, but she hadn't. She never would forget, and she'd never stop grieving, it was a fact that she had learned to deal with. She learned to push her tears back when she thought, of Louie, or of her mother. Everyone who ever left her, she missed them all, and it never got easier like they had promised. It got harder to sleep without having a horrible nightmare of the night she lost her baby, or how she watched Louie get pulled into the hospital on that stretcher, the fear in Danny's face, in his cries for Louie. Every time she closed her eyes something was there, haunting her. The only memory she had of her mother was the day she left her, and it was the worst memory a teenager could ever have.

* * *

_She was 15 years old when her mother left her, but she remembered it like it was yesterday, like it had just happened, and each time she recalled it, her heart broke into a thousand pieces._

_Sam had been playing with her puppy, Maxx, in her front yard when she heard her mother shout. Max had brought back his ball, and instead of throwing it for him, she headed inside where the crying was coming from. She watched as her mother carried a duffle bag around her shoulder. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, she wasn't wearing glasses, and her light blue eyes were red. She was wearing a pair of Sam's jeans, and an orange shirt that read Florida in blue print. _

_"Mommy?" Sam asked, watching her mother storm through the kitchen, and into the medicine cabinet, grabbing everything she could get her hands on. "Mommy? Where are you going?" Sam asked again, tears filling in her own eyes. _

_She had known that one day this would happen, one day her mother would snap, and lose all sanity._

_"I'm going away for a while, baby," Sam's mother replied, kissing the top of her head. _

_"I wanna go," Sam replied._

_"You have school."_

_"I have 14 days I can miss, Mommy, there's only 5 days left and then it's summer time. Please, I wanna go with you," Sam begged, Max in her arms, whining._

_"Who'll take care of Maxxy?"_

_"Daddy can," Sam explained. "Mom if you leave who'll take care of Timmy? He needs a mommy," Sam said, setting the puppy down as her mother headed for the door. She grabbed the bag, holding her mom from walking out the front door. Tim was the reason her mother was leaving. She had suffered post partum after he was born, and she had gone crazy, leaving Sam to be a mother and house wife for three men and a baby._

_"I'll be back," her mother promised, hugging Sam. "I'm going to get better, and I'll be back."_

_"Don't you fucking lie to her, Tammy!" Mr. Parker yelled. Sam turned to face her father, who was hiding his own tears. His wife was leaving him with four children. The woman he loved more than life itself was leaving him for a crack head in Texas she'd only ever talked to online. "Tell her where the fuck you're really going! She deserves the truth!"_

_"Let it go, Stanley," Mrs. Parker said calmly, squeezing Sam's shoulder. _

_"Don't lie to your daughter, Tammy," Stanley said firmly. "She deserves better than that."_

_Tammy Parker took a deep breath before looking in Sam's eyes. "I'll be back," she replied before she left Sam and her father in the foyer of their house in Staten Island. _

_Sam slowly turned back to her father, tears streaking down her face. "She's never coming back, is she?" Sam asked her father._

_He sadly shook his head, returning to the living room, where he heard the baby crying for food. _

_Sam walked across the street, and climbed into Danny Messer's window, where he sat on his bed, watching TV. He turned to see Sam falling into his bedroom, and slowly waited for her to stand up before asking her why the fuck she was crying._

_"My mom just left us forever," she sniffled, crawling into his side. He set a comforting arm around her waist, and let her cry. It was the only thing he could do. He didn't know what to say, his parents were still together. Louie and Scotty and Tommy were out riding with Sonny, and he was the only one there at the time to make her smile, so he took her outside to play with Max, and told his mom that she was eating over. It was the last day she had as a teenager before she became the only one strong enough to run the Parker household, and Danny had made it the best he could for her. _

* * *

She set the photograph back in the bottom of her sock drawer, and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She let out a groan when there was a knock at her door. It was Mac, coming to pick her up, and she had just finished crying. She stole a glance in the mirror, and wiped her eyes before walking in the living room. She opened the door and smiled at Mac.

"Hey," he smiled back. "You okay? You look like you're about to cry.

_More like die, _Sam thought. She nodded her head. "Yeah, I stubbed my toe on the corner of my bed when I was coming out," she explained. She hated lying, and hated being lied to, but she knew it was for everyone's own good. Mac wasn't ready to listen to her past experiences, and she wasn't ready to tell him.

"Ready?" he asked admiring her in jeans and a blue v-neck t-shirt. She nodded her head, and followed him out the front door, locking it on the way.

"So, what kind of party was that the other night?" Mac asked her, a sheepish grin on his face as they headed down the hall to the elevator. He wasn't going to admit, his ego had been busted when that woman eyed him and didn't think he was attractive.

"My cousin's bachelorette party," Sam laughed. "Sorry 'bout Dee. She's a bitch when she drinks too much."

"That was the woman who opened the door?" Mac asked her.

Sam nodded her head. "So what have you been up to?"

"Working like crazy," Mac explained.

Sam nodded her head and glanced at him. "Danny mentioned something about his boss living in his office."

Mac blushed a bit, and silently reminded himself to make Danny do the rookie work the next time they had a dirty job to do on a case.

"What about you?" Mac managed to ask her through his embarrassment.

"Been dating a few people here and there," she shrugged, a serious look on her face. They stepped into the elevator, and Sam grinned as she saw Mac turn a brighter red.

He didn't say anything at all, causing an awkward silence to fill the room. "I was kidding," Sam giggled after they stepped out of the elevator about two minutes later.

Mac let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His face turn back to its normal color, and his hand found its way to the small of Samantha's back, ad a chill ran through her at the feel of his hand placed securely and protectively on her. His hand felt warm, even through her shirt, and she hoped he had felt the same way she did just two seconds ago. She wasn't in the mood for pizza, she wasn't really hungry at all. But being around Mac Taylor made things just a little easier for her. She smiled sincerely, and even forgot even just for an hour or so that any work related problems that had stressed her out earlier didn't exist at that moment.

Sam smiled at her receptionist slash doorman, Eddie. He grinned at Mac, and then glanced back at her, his eyebrows wiggling. "Have fun Miss Parker," Eddie said, holding back his laughter.

Sam rolled her eyes and waved at him. "See you, Ed," Sam called over her shoulder as she and Mac walked outside, to go out for dinner.

* * *

Sam stepped into Mac's small lobby. There wasn't a doorman like she had. There was a small place where the P.O. boxes sat, and an elevator. The room wasn't any bigger than a small shed, with ugly brown tiles that Sam was pretty sure they once had been white. A woman sat in a wooden chair petting her lap dog. She wore sunglasses, and a long light blue dress, which Sam figured was a nightgown.

"Who is that?" the woman asked as Sam and Mac entered the lobby of his apartment.

"It's Mac, Mrs. Reynolds," Mac told her.

"Oh, hi Mac," the old woman smiled. "You sound happy. Did you have a date?"

"My friend, Sam is here."

"Hello Sam," she smiled. "Mac doesn't have many friends that come by. Stella is all."

"Well it's nice too meet you Mrs. Reynolds," Sam smiled at the blind woman.

Mrs. Reynolds held her hand out and Sam took it.

"She has nice wrists," Mrs. Reynolds observed.

"I'll be in to check on you in the morning, alright?" Mac asked ignoring her comment.

"Thanks Mac," Mrs. Reynolds said, standing up to follow them on the elevator. Mac pressed the fourth level button and they waited for the elevator to slowly reach their destination. Mac helped Mrs. Reynolds open her front door and then he and Sam headed down the hall towards his apartment. Sam had been taken aback by the sweet gesture Mac gave Mrs. Reynolds, and even more surprised when she realized the rest of the building was updated and clean, save for that tiny lobby.

She walked into the apartment that Mac had just unlocked; surprised with herself she'd even agreed to go to his place in the first place. It wasn't like her to accept the first offer. She usually turned it down, and waited a bit until they asked her a few dates after. But something had made her agree, and she was now standing in the middle of his living room. To the left of her was a huge kitchen with an island in the middle.

Most apartments in New York had small kitchens, so she figured there must have been another room, or the living room at one point had been bigger, and that Mac had made the kitchen bigger himself, or possibly the owner before him. She sat down on his couch, which sat in front of a TV that hung above a fireplace. Mac sat down next to her and watched her admire his apartment.

She noticed there were no pictures, not even one of Claire. "Why don't you have pictures?" Sam asked.

"That was Claire's thing," he admitted. "When I moved, I hired a decorator. So I wouldn't have to deal with any of it, and I never got around to putting pictures up."

She nodded her head, and then turned to look at him. "Do you have _any_ pictures at all? Like stashed in a closet or something?"

"Samantha," Mac sighed.

"That's the seventh time tonight you called me Samantha," she observed. "You are very uptight. As much as being called Samantha is sexy considering you are the only one who calls me that, you_ are_ allowed to call me Sam. _Please_, call me Sam. At least a little bit. Call me Samantha when we're like naked or something."

"Everyone calls you Sam though," Mac chuckled. He was thankful he had gotten her away from the pictures for now. He knew she wouldn't forget them for long though.

She raised an eyebrow at him and it made him smile even more. A real smile, this time. He realized that he was starting to lighten up, and that for the first time in eight years he actually smiled without making himself.

"Okay, we'll compromise," Mac, said. She nodded her head and then he said, "Can I call you Sammie?"

"I don't mind."

She took her shoes off and folded her legs Indian style on the couch. She let out a yawn and Mac pulled the blanket from the back of his couch. She thanked him and covered herself in the blanket. Subconsciously he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She could smell his cologne, and she closed her eyes. She was almost asleep, curled into his side, when she felt him kiss her hair. She shot up and stared at him.

"I fell asleep," she said embarrassed.

"I noticed that," he smirked.

"Why did you let me!" she complained, punching his arm.

"You're going to have to try harder if you're trying to hurt me."

She blushed as he laughed at her. She let out a yawn and laid back down in his lap, and was almost put asleep again as he stroked her hair.

"I can sleep on the couch if you want to sleep here," Mac offered.

She nodded her head. "You don't have to sleep on the couch," she told him, her eyes still closed.

"Do you need something to sleep in?" he asked, ignoring her previous statement.

She nodded her head once more and he stood up, causing her to have to sit up as well. He came back a few minutes later and told her she could get changed in his room. He had a shirt and a pair of sweatpants on his bed for her, and she could set her clothes on his dresser if she liked. She nodded her head and stood up to walk to Mac's room.

* * *

Samantha Parker wasn't a nosey person. She knew if you wanted to tell her something, you would, so she never bothered people much. But she was still curious about Claire. And when she finished getting changed she looked around the room, looking for any signs of her. That's when she saw the single picture sitting on the nightstand. It was small, and it stood in a frame beside his alarm clock. She walked over and picked it up. She wasn't going to lie, the most beautiful woman she had ever seen stared right back at her. She had the brightest smile ever, and the brightest blue eyes. Her hair was close to the same as Sam's, but Claire's was darker, and wavier. She plopped down on the bed, and continued to stare at the picture as she wondered what Claire was like. Then she heard a knock at the door, and Mac entered a few short seconds after.

He sat down on the bed beside her and looked at the picture. "Is this Claire?" She asked, simply.

He nodded his head.

"She is beautiful."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"Why would it?"

"It bothered my ex-girlfriend, Peyton."

"Peyton must have been ugly," she stated, and then realized that she probably just hurt Mac's feelings. "I didn't mean that, I'm sure she was pretty, but I just meant... I don't know what I meant it sounded good in my head. "

"Nice save," he chuckled.

She nodded her head simply, and then looked back at Mac. He had a stern look on his face, on that Sam had already associated a hit thinking face. "What are you thinking about?" she asked him.

He shook his head at the same time he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just a long day."

She knew that was a lie, he looked more than just tired. He looked like he had something on his mind, and she had an idea of what. "I have a question."

Mac looked at her, wondering what was on her mind.

"Well, I guess I've got a lot of them. I mean, I know Claire died…"

Mac nodded his head. "I loved her. I think that you really need to understand; Claire and I had something that I'm not willing to replace. I want to find something else, I do, I just don't want to erase her."

"I understand what you're trying to say," Sam said.

"I was married before, Samantha." Mac explained to her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You told me this already," she reminded him.

"No, I was married, and my wife died. I didn't choose to leave her; she didn't choose to leave me. I loved her, and I'm not ever going to be over her. You need to understand that even though you and I are dating, that I love someone else also. It doesn't mean that I'm incapable of loving someone else."

"You just said more words in 30 seconds than you have since I met you," she kidded.

Mac gave her a stern look, wiping her half smile off her face. "I'm serious Samantha."

"Sorry, I know you are," she replied. "Yeah, I get it."

"No, you don't get it."

"Yeah," Sam said tucking a piece of hair behind her hair. "I'm not stupid. I understand you had a life before. I had a life before too yah know. It wasn't always just Timmy and me. But I do understand you'd still be with Claire if she was alive."

Mac nodded his head.

"Listen, I'm not trying to replace her. I don't want to. I'm just trying to find my own happiness, and you make me happy…yeah that's shocking considering how serious you always are, but I do somehow have fun with you. And trust me. The last thing I want is to remind you of her, or to take your memories of her away from you. So if I do resemble her in any way, I get it. I understand and you can walk away right now no harm. But if you don't walk away and later we break up or something happens and you tell me I'm too much like her, I'll kick your ass."

Mac smirked at her. He knew she would, marine or no marine she'd punch him when he least expected it. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."

"Hmm." She smiled an evil grin. "Who knew Mac Taylor liked it rough."

"I meant I needed to hear you don't want to take her place."

"I don't, but I want to know about her. I mean not today not right now, not everything at once. But I want you to be able to come to me when she's on your mind, and not feel like it will ruin us."

"You do remind me of her. I mean you guys have similarities, and I'm not saying everything you do I'm thinking of her. I'm just saying I think about her everyday, Sammie. Every day she's in my mind."

Sam blushed when Mac called her Sammie. "That's understandable. I'm fine with that. I think about…it's fine."

"Who do you think bout?" He asked. He waited a few seconds, and she still didn't reply. "Louie?"

She nodded her head, not wanting to tell him about the unborn child she had lost before Louie had died.

Mac nodded his head again, and a silence filled the room. Sam figured he wasn't going to ask her what happened, but knew he was wondering.

"I was pregnant before Louie died," she told him. "about four months before he died, I was six months pregnant, and I lost the baby." She looked at her fingers, and began picking at them.

"Do you have anymore secrets?" Mac asked her.

She slowly shook her head, still not able to look up from her fingers.

He slowly placed his hand on her thigh, and gave her a smile before kissing her cheek. He took her chin in his free hand, and softly turned her head to face him, an gave her a kiss.

Sam smiled after words. They hadn't kissed much since they took Leo to the zoo, but she could tell he was getting more and more comfortable with kissing her whenever he pleased. He no longer blushed at the thought of kissing her. He'd just kiss her without thinking, because it felt right.

And Sam didn't mind that it was a bumpy start, because he was beginning to warm up to her, and being this happy made it worth it. She'd been smiling more around the house, and Timmy was glad that she was finally happy for once.

She let out a sigh, and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm tired," she told him.

"I know," he laughed. "You fell asleep twice already."

"I'm sorry. I've been busy all day running around."

"With your boyfriends?" Mac kidded.

"No," she giggled, bumping him with her elbow. "With Leo. And with my boss. I do work you know."

"Oh yeah. Other than read?"

"Yes. I do what my boss tells me too, which today was figure out J.K. Rowling's phone number. And I had to read four books. Reading does make you tired. And I actually went for a run today. First one in like….twenty years."

"You talk way to much," Mac laughed, standing up.

Sam stood up as well, and helped him push the comforter down. "Woo baby. This the way you picture your first night sleeping with Sammie?" Sam joked, crawling into his bed. She set her head on the pillow that was on her side.

"Mac?" Sam asked after a few silent moments.

"Sam?"

"Was this yours and Claire's bed?" she asked him.

"No."

"Okay. Good."

"Good?"

"I don't want to sleep in another woman's bed, with her man," she explained.

"Go to bed," Mac mumbled.

She turned to face the wall, and scooted back towards him, until her ass found his groin, and she snuggled against him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and she set her hand over his.

"Night," she said, finally dozing off into a peaceful somber.


	6. Scars

**Ships in this chapter: Sam/Mac. Mac/Claire(memories)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is CBS. Samantha Parker, along with Leo and the rest of the characters that aren't from CSI:NY are my creations.**

ENJOY

**

* * *

**

The window curtains did a good job of blocking the sun from coming in, so she didn't know what time it was when she woke up. She was a light sleeper. If someone so much as tapped her on the shoulder she'd wake up. And she had woken up to Mac's arm moving from her waist. He let out a sigh, and she could feel him rolling to his other side. After a few minutes he finally stood up and headed for his bathroom. He quietly washed his face, and then crawled back into bed, thinking he'd successfully left without waking her up.

But then Sam slowly turned around to face him. "What time is it?" she grumbled.

"Five in the morning," Mac told her.

"You wake up at five in the morning?" Sam asked, rubbing her eyes.

"You can go back to bed," he told her. "I'm going to take a run."

Sam sat up and let out a yawn. "At five o'clock in the morning?"

"I go every morning," he told her, tying his running shoes on his feet.

"Crazy," she told him. "How far do you go?"

"Usually seven or eight miles. But today I am just going to go three or four miles," he told her, standing up.

Sam nodded her head, and then rolled back on her side. "I'll be sleeping when you come back," she told him, pulling the covers over her head.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to come," Mac chuckled. "I guess that answers my question."

"No way in hell I can run one mile let alone four," Sam snorted from underneath Mac's covers.

She fell back asleep easily after she heard him leave the apartment, and she woke up just as easily 45 minutes later when he came back. She laid silently as she heard him turn the shower on, and still sat quietly as he tried his best not to wake her when he crawled back into bed. And an hour later she pretended like she didn't hear him go to the kitchen to cook breakfast. When he returned, she could smell the food he'd made, and she felt his lips kiss her shoulder.

"Good morning," she smiled, rolling over to face Mac in a black t-shirt, and black Under Armour pants. His watch sparkled on his left wrist, and the muscles in his arms were flexed.

"I hope you like scrambled eggs because that's all I can cook," he told her, turning towards his nightstand, he handed her a tray with bacon, eggs, and a glass of orange juice.

"That was nice of you," she told him, taking a piece of bacon in her hand and setting it in her mouth.

"Is it too burnt?" He asked her. She shook her head, and handed him a piece.

"Delicious," she smiled, taking a sip of her orange juice. "Thanks."

Mac nodded his head, and crawled back under the covers with Sam.

"Do you have to work today?"

"No," Mac told her. "But I am on call."

Sam nodded her head. "So do I owe you lunch since you cooked me breakfast?"

"No. You owe me dinner," he told her, a grin on his face.

"Deal," she told him.

He watched her tuck a stray hair behind her ear, and take a sip of orange juice. He hadn't sat with a woman like this in a while, and it felt nice to be able to wake up next to someone.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Mac asked Sam, when she finished eating.

"Nope," she said, climbing out of the bed to use the bathroom. "Bathroom?"

"Right there," he told her, pointing to the door on his right. She nodded her head and headed behind the door. And the second she was gone, his phone began to ring.

He let out a sigh, and answered the phone. "What's up Flack?" he asked, standing up, shedding his sweatpants, to put on dress pants.

"We've got a DB on the Subway, Mac. Didn't know if you wanted to lead, or if you want me to call in someone else. Stella and Danny are on another case."

"Where are Linds and Hawkes?" Mac asked, buttoning his pants.

"Lindsay is in the lab helping Adam. We've got our hands full. And Hawkes is at home."

"Call Hawkes, and we'll meet you there. Text me the address."

Sam opened he bathroom door a few moments later, in her clothes from the night before. "Got called in that fast?" she asked him, when she noticed he was buttoning up his dress shirt.

"I am sorry," he told her.

"Don't say you're sorry," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I understand. I've got some stuff to do anyway. I'll see yah later."

"I'll call you when I get done if it's not too late," he offered.

Sam nodded her head as she picked up her purse from the dresser in his bedroom, and Mac watched her head for the door.

"I can't have a kiss?" he asked her.

She turned around mid step; shocked he'd asked her for a kiss. She stood for a second, until she headed back towards him to give him a kiss. She figured he just wanted a peck, but was once again surprised when he set his hand on the back of her neck, instigating for more. Sam's left hand wrapped around his waist, while her fingers ran through his hair, and he turned her around, so her back was towards his bed, just seconds later he was lying on top of her, his hands roaming her body, his lips tracing kisses from her jaw line to the hallow of her neck. His hand slowly went under her shirt, and was placed on her stomach.

He didn't wince when her nails dug into his back, although it hurt like hell. He thought she was doing it because she was enjoying their make-out session, so he continued to trail his fingers down her thigh with his free hand, until she jerked away from him when he tried to pull her shirt up to kiss her stomach.

"You gotta get to work," she reminded him, propping herself on her elbows, she looked up at him, both of their faces beat red from lack of oxygen.

"I've got a few minutes to spare," he told her, kissing her forehead, and then her nose, then her lips, and her neck once more. She nodded her head, and then brought his lips to hers, their teeth crashing in an aggressive kiss.

Once again their hands began roaming each other's bodies, and Mac ran his hands up her side, and under her bra, his other hand, playing with the button on her jeans. He hadn't unzipped them, just traced what he could of the tattoo on her hip, and she hadn't objected yet, so he stopped kissing her, and brought his head to the tattoo, about to kiss her hip bone, as she pushed her shirt back down.

"Mac," she moaned, when he kissed her belly button, and began tugging at her ring.

Mac sat up, and looked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked her; scared he had somehow hurt her.

She slowly nodded her head, and sat up. "I'm not ready for that yet," she told him.

"We don't have to have sex," he assured her. "I'm not going to push you to do anything you don't want."

"Okay," she said nodding her head. "Well, I'll let you get to work, and call me later and we can finish this. Sound good?"

Mac nodded his head, as Sam leaned over and kissed his ear. "See you," he said as he watched her stand up to leave. He let out a sigh when she shut the front door, and shook his head. He was ready for more, and he wanted more from her. He'd been so turned on when he saw the rest of the tiny heart on her hip bone, and was anxious to see if she had any more secret piercings or body work, but of course, that wouldn't be happening for a while.

He stood up and headed towards his door, dreading a long day of murders for the first time in a while, because he knew the whole time he'd be thinking of Samantha.

* * *

"What about this one?" Sam asked Leo. She was holding up a blue block. They were sitting on her living room floor building a castle.

"Bew," Leo said, taking it from Sam's hand. He set it on top of the rest and clapped his hands.

"And this?" Sam asked him. Placing another block on top of the blue one.

"Rid," he smiled.

"Red, good job bud," she smiled kissing the top of his head. Someone knocked on the door a few seconds later. "It's open," she called.

Mac opened the door to Sam's apartment. He took his jacket off and set it on the hook next to the door.

"Hey," Sam said, handing another block to Leo.

"Lennow," Leo said placing the yellow block next to the red one.

"Hey, Lee," Mac smiled at Leo.

"Hi," Leo smiled knocking over his pile of blocks. He picked up one and handed it to Mac. "Bew."

"Blue," Mac said, sitting down next to Leo. "My favorite color."

"Leo's too," Sam smiled. "Right Hun?"

"Bew, Bew, Bew!" Leo cheered.

Mac leaned over Leo and kissed Sam's cheek. "Hi," Sam smiled. "How's work treatin' you?"

"Same old, same old," he sighed. "What about yours?"

"Well I'm sure it's nothing compared to your detective skills but I got a raise," she said, taking the red blocks, and making a small tower with them.

"Oh yeah, why was that?"

"I brought in a whole bunch of sales for the company," she shrugged.

"Congratulations. What are you going to buy?"

"I already bought Leo this expensive paint, when it dries it turns the wall into a whiteboard. He's going to _love_ that."

Mac nodded his head. He should have guessed Sam would have bought something for Leo, instead of for herself. She loved him like he was her own son, she'd do anything for him. He understood that she had taken care of him since he was born, but he didn't understand why. She could have left Timmy with her father, she could have let Leo be adopted. That had been the plan. Timmy and his girlfriend were going to put the baby up for adoption because they couldn't take care of him. But Sam stepped in and saved Leo, saved Timmy, even saved the mother. He respected her for forgetting about herself to take care of her brother and nephew, but he didn't understand why she needed to do it. People were adopted every day. Claire had put Reid up for adoption, and even though it was tough, Reid had a life that Claire thought she couldn't give him. Claire had been upset about it at first, but she knew that one day Reid would understand that it was best for everyone involved if he was adopted.

"So you didn't get anything for yourself?" Mac asked her, drifting away from his train of thoughts. He knew it was bad to think about Claire when he was with Sam. It had almost cost his relationship with Peyton. He had been thinking about Claire before he and Peyton met up to talk after a bad fight, and when Peyton got mad, he had gone back to his safety place, thinking about Claire, picturing the last fight he had with her, and he called Peyton by his late wife's name. He had then learned that he shouldn't think about her in front of the women he dated, but he always did. He'd compare them over and over, and once he decided they were too similar he'd dump them. But Sam had proven she wasn't like Claire. Sure she'd probably kick his ass before letting him win a fight, just like CLaire had, but she viewed life differently.

Claire loved chocolate cake, Sam hated it. Sam loved the rain, Claire hated it. The two women had two totally different sides of sarcasm; they had different tastes in life, which made it easier. If Sam and Mac were to ever be in love, it wouldn't be the same kind of love Claire had given Mac. Sam could make new memories, whether it be walking in the rain, making Mac free the bugs in the house rather than killing them, or just the way her lips felt when she kissed him. She could have her own memories that wouldn't need to be compared to Claire's.

"Nope," Sam said, standing up. Leo stood up also, tugging on her pants. She easily swooped him in her arms. "Let me go put him down for bed," she smiled brightly.

* * *

Mac nodded his head and watched her disappear down the hall. He'd wondered what was there, he'd never actually been past the kitchen.

They'd only known each other four months, he only kissed her a month ago, and they only had three _real_ dates. This would be the fourth, and despite the unwritten third date rule, he and Sam still hadn't slept together. It wasn't that he didn't want to, because he did. They'd come close this morning, but Sam had backed away from him. She seemed nervous, and jumpy, and he wasn't going to press her into doing anything she didn't want to do.

He picked up the blocks for Sam and smiled when she came back five minutes later. She bent over to pick up Leo's Thomas the train toy, and Mac saw the tattoo on her lower back peak from her jeans. It was a purple flower set in the middle of her lower back. She plopped down on the couch next to him, and noticed he'd just come from work. He was still in his black dress pants, blue button shirt, and she saw both his suit jacket and winter jacket hanging on her coat hanger by the door. Then she noticed his ugly brown dress shoes.

"Are you aware brown and black do _not_ match?" she asked him.

"I've been told that," he said. Claire reminded him that on a daily basis.

"So why are you wearing black pants and brown shoes?"

"I don't own any decent black ones."

"So was she insanely hot?"

"Excuse me?" Mac asked, shocked Sam just asked that.

"Was she pretty?"

"Who?"

"Claire."

"Yeah," Mac said simply.

Sam nodded her head. "Did she want kids?"

"Sam why are you asking me these things?"

"Because I know you won't talk about it unless I ask."

"I don't know what you're comfortable hearing," he shrugged.

"I'd listen to whatever you had to say about her."

"So if I ever mentioned us wanting kids, or talk about how amazing she was it wouldn't bother you one bit?"

"Nope," Sam said. "Although I draw the line at knowing your sex life. I'm sure you'd do the same. Dead or alive."

"Does Danny know we've been…seeing each other?"

Sam shook her head simply. "Was I supposed to tell him?"

Mac shrugged his shoulders.

"Thirsty?" she asked him.

He nodded his head for what Sam felt like was the one-thousandth time. She stood up and poured him water, and a few seconds later was back in the room.

"Do you have arthritis in your neck?" She asked him.

He raised an eyebrow before answering no, and then asked why.

"You nod your head all of the time like a little bobble head," she giggled, turning the TV on.

Mac grabbed her chin and softly turned her head from the TV, and kissed her. Sam smiled afterwards.

"Are you blushing?" Mac smirked.

"No," she laughed, smacking his arm.

"No hitting Sam," Mac repeated Leo's words as he began tickling her stomach.

"Mac!" Sam gasped, laughing as he climbed on top of her and tickled her more. "Mac! Leo…sleeping!"

Mac smiled and let her go, "You got lucky, Parker," he laughed. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, before sitting back up.

"Did you eat dinner?" she asked him, after she caught her breath. She watched him nod his head, and then she turned back towards the television. "Well, I don't know what you wanna do, I mean we can't go out. I have to watch the baby."

"Watching TV is fine," he told her. "Do you have a movie or something?"

"I might," she told him.

They decided on watching The Departed, Sam's favorite movie. But within forty minutes of the movie, the two had resorted to two horny teenagers taking each other's clothes off on her couch. Each time he kissed her behind her ear, her body shivered with pleasure, and every time her fingertips brushed against his groin, he got an erection.

He kissed her neck, and ran his hands along the sides of her body, until she finally allowed him to take off her shirt. She blushed when he admired her. She was nervous he'd see the scar that started from the side of her left chest and down to her right hip, where the tattoo of the pinkish red heart covered the rest of it.

If he noticed it, he didn't tell her, because he was to busy kissing every part of her body that he could reach, learning the spots that made her dig her nails into his bare back.

"Sam," Mac moaned when she ran her hand over his hipbone again.

"What?" she asked him.

"You're a tease," he told her.

A smirk played on her lips. "Why?" she asked, playing with his belt. "You don't like when I do that?" She asked, running her hand over his erection.

He let out another groan, and clenched his hands in fists, while Sam giggled at him. "You think it's funny?" he asked her, tugging at her jeans.

"Yes," she giggled again when he tugged at her belly button ring with his teeth. She finished taking his belt off, and he took his pants off for her. "Uhmm…" she started. "Can we do this in the bedroom? I don't want Timmy to walk in or Adrianne or Danny or Tommy or Scott. They all have keys…" she bit her lip and watched Mac stand up

"If you're not comfortable doing anything here, we don't have to Sam," he assured her.

She shook her head. "I didn't say that. I just don't want to have sex on my living room couch when anyone will walk in at any second. My bedroom has a lock."

"Are you sure?" he asked her, already trying to put his shirt back on.

She gently grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her. "Positive," she whispered, giving him a kiss.

And just like she had guessed would happen, the front door swung open, revealing a very bashful Timothy Parker along with two of his friends.

"Holy shit!" Tim yelled, covering his eyes at the sight of a man in boxers lying on top of his sister. His sister that was just in a bra and underwear, and next to him were standing two horny teenagers, trying to see any skin they could of his big sister.

Mac laid on top of Sam out of instinct, and did his best to cover what he could of her, trying not to grin at her beat red, humiliated face. He grabbed the blanket that sat on the floor, and pulled it overtop of them, while Tim stood in shock.

"What the fuck, Samantha!" Tim yelled, and though she couldn't see his face she knew it was red with anger.

She bit her bottom lip trying not to laugh, and then spoke. "I thought you were staying at T-Bone's or whoever, so I invited a friend over," she explained.

"We'll be gone in ten minutes," Tim replied. "I'm getting my baseball shit."

"Good," Sam said, peeking over the blanket. "Hurry on now, children."

"Next time tell me when you're going to be fucking in our living room," Tim said, sticking his tongue out at Sam.

"_My_ living room," Sam corrected. "This is my apartment, not _ours_."

Tim and his friends followed him down the hall, and came back a few minutes later; Sam fully dressed, sitting along side Mac at the kitchen table. He threw a condom at Sam, which she caught.

"Timmy, this is expired. No wonder how Leo was made! This is from Dad's high school years." She chucked it back at him, and it hit him in the head. "Throw that away and buy new ones retard."

"Bye," Tim said, heading out the door.

"Sorry," Sam said, turning to Mac.

Mac raised an eyebrow at Sam and smirked. "You two get along well," he said sarcastically.

"We're still brother and sister, even if I am like his mom," she smiled. "So we fight like brother and sister."

"My sister and I never fought," he said.

"Did your Dad threaten to beat you with a belt?" she asked. "You two knock it off before I take my leather to you!"

"Something like that," Mac laughed.

* * *

Being on call sucked for most people. But for Mac Taylor, he enjoyed it. He rarely slept anyway, so it never fazed him. But tonight was different. He was sleeping in Samantha's bed when Flack had called with yet another dead person lying on the streets.

He let out a groan as he slowly sat up and reached for his phone sitting on the nightstand next to him.

"Taylor." Mac whispered.

"Hey, it's Flack," Flack whispered back.

"What's up?"

"Why are we whispering?"

"You don't have to."

"We've got that serial case now. Another girl was found; they are bringing in the profilers tonight. This can't wait any longer. It's getting out of hand." Flack chuckled, speaking louder.

"I'll be there in twenty. Text me the address."

"Are you over your girlfriends?" Flack whispered. He couldn't help but laugh as Mac hung the phone up on him.

Sam turned on her opposite side, facing Mac and opened one eye. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I have to go in to work," Mac explained.

"Again?" she asked, pulling the covers over her bare chest.

Mac nodded his head, and then stood up, putting his boxers on. "I'll call you later, okay?" He walked to the foot of the bed, and grabbed his pants, then headed to the opposite side of the room where his shirt was.

"Be careful," Sam said, leaning up to kiss Mac as he headed out the door. She watched him head for her bedroom door, and listened to him shut the front door, and she took the liberty to check on Leo.

He was sleeping soundly, so she let him be, and padded into the kitchen in her robe, deciding to get a drink of water. Her and Mac had just taken a big step in their relationship. She had slept with him. Though she didn't regret it, or wish they had waited, she had been nervous. The only man that ever saw that scar save for her family and Danny was the man that had given it to her. She had noticed Mac's scar too, but hadn't asked because she didn't want him to ask about hers. It was an unspoken mutual decision that neither would ask what the other's scar had come from. Their pasts were just that. The past.

* * *

**Thanks to those who are reading, even the lurkers. **

**Thanks to the reviewers:**

**iheartcsinewyork**

**BlueEyedAuthor**

**Blaze709**


	7. Left in the Dust

**Ships: Sam/Mac**

**Disclaimer: Nothing but the unfamiliar characters are mine.**

**A/N: Been a while, I know, but I finally got something up. It's a bit... scatterbrained, but I hope you guys like!**

* * *

"I'd like to walk you through a field of flowers. I'd like to check you for ticks," Sam sang as she scrubbed the casserole dish, her hips swaying with Brad Paisley's Ticks, when her landline rang. She picked the phone up and placed it between her shoulder and her ear. "Parker residence, the brains of the house speaking, how may I help you?"

_"The brains and the beauty," Mac's voice came on the other side of the phone. _

"Hey," Sam said, setting the dish on the counter. "What's up?"

_"On my break," he told her. "You?"_

"Doing the dishes. How's work going for you?" She set the rest of the dishes that were in the sink in the dishwasher, and headed for her kitchen table where a bag of Reese Pieces awaited her.

_"I'll be done in a few hours. We're going to meet up around 9, so we'll probably leave at 8."_

"Okay honey. So be ready by 7:50. What time is it now?"

_"12. I'll be off by 3. Do you want me to come right over or wait until 7:30?"_

"Whatever you'd like. I'm going to be showering and getting ready and all that woman stuff."

"Okay, I'm going go let you go. Have fun at work, okay?"

_"Deal," Mac smiled. "I gotta go Stella is here. She's got a lead on our case."_

"Okay, bye. See you later."

_"I'll call you when I'm on my way," he said before he hung up. _

She and Mac had been doing well the last few months. March was ending, and they'd been seeing each other since October. The first time they slept together was in November, and now, here they were almost six months later, developing their own routines.

Sam had surprised Mac when she woke him up at five in the morning, ready to go for a run. She had sworn up and down she'd never run with him, because she wouldn't be able to keep up. But a few months later she was in shape, and ready to give him some company on his morning runs whenever she could. She knew that it meant a lot to him to be in shape, and eating healthy. He cared about his body, and it was something she wanted to try to do. Mac had noticed she had lost some weight in certain spots, and filled out in others, but he had never put two and two together until she woke him up that morning to go on a run.

He had been shocked that she ran five miles before she told him she couldn't go any farther, and he was fine with that. Because she was trying. She was trying to do things his way.

They hadn't shared I love yous or even talked about moving in together, but they knew they were serious about each other. Mac had realized she was good for him when night after night he'd leave her in the middle of the night in order to go to work. And each time she was completely fine with the fact he had to leave. She'd simply kiss him on the cheek and tell him to be careful, and she'd fall back asleep.

He hated that every time he got a call in the middle of the night, he woke her up no matter how quiet he was. He felt horrible for those times they'd been in the middle of making love, or going for a walk in Central Park, or out to dinner when he had to leave her. No matter how cool she was with it, he knew she was upset that he had to call a date short. Most of the time they'd stay in at his apartment or hers, depending on whether she had Leo that night. Though they weren't living together, Mac had a few suits and leisure clothes in a drawer at Sam's, and she had some of hers in a drawer at his place.

They hadn't had a serious fight yet, they were still learning so much about each other. Like the fact every other Wednesday night Mac played bass at a Jazz bar called Cozy's. She learned that the scar on his chest was from when he was in Beirut, and he learned hers had been from when Vinny Marino, a member of the Tanglewood clan had cornered her in a dark alley one night, and mugged her, a pregnant woman, because she'd been a witness to something she shouldn't have seen when she was a teenager.

She had lost her baby and got a nasty scar for something she never even knew she'd been a part of. She was put in the hospital for nearly a month, and she lost Louie's child, which she found out would have been a girl. She hadn't known Vinny and Sonny had killed someone in front of her, and even if she did, she probably would have been too scared to come clean about it.

He learned the reason why it cut her so deep when he lied to her about something so small. Her mother had made her a promise she never kept. She knew about how he'd been kept hostage in a bank and when Drew Bedford had taken him for revenge as well. She knew about the bombing where Mac had saved Don's life, and she knew almost everything about Claire. Save for Reed.

He had kept Reed from her because it was the only thing that he had left of Claire, and the only thing he wasn't ready to share with anyone, but he knew she'd be devastated if he never came clean about it. He wasn't planning on keeping it a secret forever, he just wasn't ready to let that part of him be shared. Figured she had secrets she hadn't told him yet, though they had been pretty honest from the start.

Almost six months later, they were happy together.

* * *

Sam had already sat Danny down and explained she was seeing Mac, and though he'd been pissed off at first, he was slowly coming to terms with the idea. He thought Sam as a little sister, and her dating his 45-year-old boss was something he never expected. Sam had been through a lot, he knew that. He'd been witness to just about all of her troubles. He knew Louie didn't treat her as well as she should have been treated, but she loved Louie. And he never expected to see her with anyone else but him. But here she was, dating his boss. It was weird, and shocking for him. His anger got the best of him at first, but Sam had explained that she needed someone like Mac.

She needed someone older than her, someone who understood the things she'd been through. Mac was understanding, he loved Leo. He took care of her, and treated her like she was a princess. And the most important thing was that they both understood they once loved other people. People they'd never be able to be with again.

Sure they hadn't taken the plunge, and they were nowhere close. They were still learning about each other, and of course they could still realize that they weren't right for each other. But she didn't want to risk missing out on something good. And she told Danny all of this, while he unwillingly listened.

Danny was a hard head when it came to changing his opinion. He had everything set in his mind, and it was hard to talk him into something other than what he already decided. He had decided the second Sam said she was dating Mac that he wasn't going to tolerate it. But three beers, two slices of pizza, and an hour and a half later, Sam had made him see her side.

She explained her feelings, and she gave Danny an ultimatum. He would either accept it and be happy, or he'd pretend to accept it around Mac. Either way she was breaking up with him because that's what Danny wanted.

Danny chose the former, though at first it was hard for him.

* * *

Sam sat at her kitchen table, and popped a hand full of Reese's pieces in her mouth as she recalled the talk with Danny. Now that he was ready to fully and happily accept Mac and Sam wouldn't be splitting up any time soon, he had made the suggestion for Sam to meet the rest of the team. As Mac's girlfriend, instead of Danny's "sister". She was nervous. She'd heard a lot about Stella, and knew her opinion mattered the most. If Stella told Mac she was a bitch, Mac would listen and probably end things with her. First impressions were everything, and she was scared she'd fuck up.

She knew Lindsay was a sweetheart, and she had met Flack briefly. Flack had mentioned liking her, but she was still nervous. Stella was the big test. If Stella didn't like her, she didn't know what would happen.

All this worrying got her nerves worked up.

She heard a whine coming from underneath the table, and looked under it to see Tiggins the puppy sitting at her feet. Sam adopted him two months ago when Timmy begged her to get a puppy for Leo. She said no at first, but she and Mac decided to go to the shelter, and she immediately fell in love with the golden retriever puppy. Sam picked out the name after Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. She added her own twist to the name, and came up with Tiggins.

"Hey Tiggy," Sam said, picking the puppy up. "You hungry sport?"

She walked towards the empty bowl near the fridge, and picked up the shiny blue bowl that read "Tiggins" in white. She headed to the cupboard to grab some dog food, tonight's events slipping from her mind, even just for a while.

* * *

Mac opened Sam's front door, greeted by Sam lying on the couch, an Eeyore blanket over her lap, Tiggins at her feet, a magazine in hand. A playboy magazine. Mac didn't understand why she loved them so much. It was weird, having a girlfriend who looked at the magazines that he should have been subscribing to. Not only that, but having a girlfriend young enough to actually pose as a playmate. He never actually looked at the magazine. He skimmed through it when he was a kid, and found them under his father's side of the mattress, but he never masturbated to them. He never sat down and actually looked through them. Sure he liked women, but he never liked the idea of them posing like that.

But Sam openly looked through it in front of him, and at first it had been awkward. He figured from the start she wasn't embarrassed about sex, and after their first night together he knew she was open about her nudity. She was far from a slut, he knew that. He knew she slept with only three other men before him, and he wasn't one to judge.

But despite being open with her body, she didn't mind admiring others' also. She made it clear she didn't like women, and that she liked reading the articles in the magazine. That she thought the women were beautiful. She didn't wish she could be a playmate, she didn't want to have bodies like theirs, but she still liked to think that if she wanted it all, she could have it. She liked the photos because the women in them knew how to pose. With or without their clothes on. And though every girl that was in the magazine was stick thin, they had different bodies. They had curves in different places, and every part of them was different from the next. The photos in the magazine were art. It wasn't any different then nude sculptures the Italians and Greeks sculpted during the Renaissance. Sam wasn't turned on by women. But the work that these photographers, and the models created were something she always enjoyed.

Mac secretly didn't mind. When she finished reading one of the magazines front to back, she'd teach him something she read to spice up their sex life. Not that it needed any spicing up at just six months.

Sam wasn't into kinky hardcore bondage sex. She didn't wear slutty clothes, or put too much make up on. She was a good girl, for the most part. She didn't talk about sex in public, and she blushed when people asked her about her sex life. She was shy when it came to talking about sex, other than with the person she was having it with.

Mac hung his jacket on the coat hanger by the door, while Tiggins hurried to jump on his pants.

"Hi, honey," Sam smiled as she flipped a page in her magazine.

"Hey," Mac said, walking towards her. He sat down at the end of the couch and put her feet in his lap. "What are you reading?"

Sam held up the magazine so Mac could see the title, but never took her eyes from the pages in front of her. "What time is it?" Sam asked, setting the magazine on the coffee table.

"5. Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

Mac set his chin on Sam's knee, and wrapped his hands around her legs. "Did you eat? We can go get dinner if you would like."

"Sounds good," Sam said, setting the magazine down when Mac's phone rang. Sam let out a sigh. She knew it was Flack telling him he had to go back to work.

"Sorry," Mac said, picking up his phone. "Taylor."

Sam watched as Mac nodded his head and mumbled a few words. She could tell by the way he rubbed the bridge of his nose, and let out a sigh that he was needed in the crime lab. Someone else had just been murdered, and evidently he was the only God damned one that knew how to find a killer.

Mac hung up the phone and gave Sam a sympathetic look. "Gotta go?" Sam asked, picking at a loose string on her blanket.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Mac sighed.

Sam bit the inside of her cheek, keeping herself from saying anything, and simply nodded her head to show her understanding. She did understand, though she didn't like it.

"I'll call you when I'm done, okay? We'll reschedule tonight, I'll make it up to you," Mac promised.

Again, Sam only nodded her head. She knew the best thing to do was to not say anything. To wait until he came back so she could think the words she wanted to say through. So that she didn't hurt his feelings by mistake.

Mac leaned over to give her a kiss, but she turned her head, and he caught the corner of her mouth. "I'll call you, okay?" Mac asked when he realized Samantha was upset with him.

"Bye," Sam replied as she watched him walk out the door.

* * *

Sam was good when it came to keeping her temper under control. In the months that Mac knew her, he'd never seen her get angry. It was something that he admired about her, but also envied.

He could never control his anger. When he got mad his blood boiled, and he fought until he won. His veins would pop in his neck, and his hands clenched into fists. His eyes would turn a musty color, his face would turn purple. He was frightening. He was glad Sam hadn't had to see that side of him yet. Though he rarely ever got like that, there were a few times he could recall. Most of them with perps that disrespected women, or the ones that lied. He'd only gotten so mad like that at Claire once, and he had been so ashamed he lashed out like that.

He really didn't have an anger problem, he could control whether or not if he would get pissed over something, but when he did actually get angry. _Really_ angry over something, you knew.

But Sam, she rarely got angry, and he hoped she wasn't angry with him now. He hoped that when he called her, she would answer. That when he opened her apartment door she was sitting on her couch in her pajamas waiting for him. He hoped that she'd leave the door unlocked for him, that she'd be okay.

Because when he left he knew she was upset. She had been understanding of his late hours, and odd times to get called in. That was something that she needed to be okay with. And she had been, until today. He didn't understand what had set her off, but he hoped by the time he got home she'd be cooled down.

He knew if she called Dee to talk about what happened, he would be screwed, so he hoped she would call her other friend, Annemarie, instead. Annemarie would tell Sam to talk to him about what was bothering her while Dee would tell Sam to leave his sorry ass.

Mac let out a sigh as he crawled under the crime scene tape to join Flack and Stella standing over not one, but two dead bodies.

"A shame," Stella said as she glanced at Mac. "I wanted to meet Sam too."

"Sam will have to wait," Mac replied. "We need to catch a killer."

* * *

Sam sat down on her couch, two bottles of beer in hand. She handed one to Dee Storm as she let out a sigh.

"So he left you hanging again? How many times does he do that?" Dee asked Sam.

"I've lost track," Sam sighed. "Usually it doesn't bother me. I understand his work is important. But in the past three months I've only seen him four days."

"Oh my God. You're dating this guy and you aren't even having sex with him anymore? Sam! That isn't supposed to happen until, like, ten years _after _your marriage!"

"We have sex," Sam said. "A _lot _of sex, actually. But we rarely see each other anymore. It's like his work over takes everything."

"Sam, he's 11 years older than you. Of course work is more important than sex."

"It's not about sex Dee!" Sam snapped. "It's about the fact he likes work more than he likes me."

"Well lay out some ground rules," Dee shrugged. "Say listen here, Buck. I'm sick of this shit. You're not the only God damned scientist with a Q-tip, so let some other people find killers!"

"You're a bitch," Sam giggled as she watched Dee throw her hands in the air.

"Okay, seriously though," Dee laughed. "Does it upset you that much?"

"Kind of. I mean it's not like its every once and a while. It's every night we're together. One time we were…making love and he had to leave."

"Oh hell no! I'd of cut his balls off."

"Dee," Sam sighed.

"Sorry, continue."

"It'd be different if like it was once or twice a week. But it's all the time. I know what his job entails, but Danny never works that much."

"It's seems like he's just old, Sam. His work is more important because it's what he likes. You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Sam's cell phone began to ring. She leaned on the coffee table in front of her to pick it up. "It's Mac."

"Press ignore," Dee replied.

Sam glanced at the caller I.D. on her iPhone. A picture of her and Mac appeared on the screen along with his name, and two options. "Answer," and "Ignore." She bit her bottom lip as she pressed one of the two options.

* * *

**Dun Dun Dun, a tiny cliffhanger to keep you guessing!! What do you think? Should there be a hardcore fight or should I have them talk it out calmly?!**

**Thanks to my reviewers:**

**Blaze 709**

**Witchbaby300**

**BlueEyedAuthor**

**EastAngels2009**

**iheartcsinewyork**


	8. Talking

**Ships: Mac/Sam. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mac Taylor, or any other hunky CSI. I do, however own Sam. But that's about all. **

**A/N The return of Peyton! Ooops! Did I just give that away??**?

* * *

Sam had taken Dee's advice, and pressed "Ignore" on her phone. It wasn't because Dee told her to. It was because she didn't know what to say to him. Was she supposed to pretend like everything was okay, or was she supposed to get angry with him? She still hadn't cooled off, and she was still upset. But she decided that fighting with him would be stupid. There wasn't anything she could do with the fact that Mac's job was important, and he had to work long hours. She knew that going into this relationship.

But it still hurt, in an odd way. Was he picking work over her? No, he couldn't have been. He was just choosing murder over her. She was okay with that, right?

She didn't understand the obsession with being on call even when he didn't need to be. Bringing work home when he was already there close to 70 hours a week. She didn't understand how he did it. How he could function, how he took her out to dinner, to the movies, did anything she wanted, when he only worked off three hours of sleep. That was enough to make sure that the next time she saw him, she wouldn't try and fight with him, just ask him why he wasn't sleeping properly.

It made sense though. Something had to have been bothering him. Why was he sleeping only three hours? How could he even _function_ on so little sleep?

When Dee finally thought she got her way, she left Sam to be on her own. She had left telling Sam that make-up sex is better than regular sex, so she needed to make sure they fight a dirty fight.

Sam had just rolled her eyes, and locked the door behind her crazy friend.

* * *

At first, Mac had been worried what Sam was thinking when he left her. But now his mind was somewhere else. There was something definitely wrong with Ella McBride. She had just conveniently bumped into him at a bodega on the opposite side of town where she lived. The only reason he had gone there that early in the first place was to get Sam some cranberry juice, like she had politely asked him to in a text message.

He hated texting, and she knew it. But he figured it was a way of telling him he was allowed to go to her apartment when he was finished his shift. He was sure she didn't need the damn juice anyway. And even if she were all out of it, she wouldn't be on her period for another two weeks. But when he saw her name pop up on his cell phone in the middle of debating whether he'd be sleeping on his office couch, or in his bed all alone -something he hadn't needed to do in months- he took the opportunity to make amends with her, for whatever unknown reason.

He got used to being in the doghouse with Claire for doing something he hadn't intended to do. He knew how to wiggle his way out, slowly but all in one piece. He hadn't figured out what would make Sam break easily, but he was determined that he would find out. For Claire, he offered a foot massage.

Mac shook his thoughts as he turned the corner of an aisle. Someone was definitely behind him. His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it from his jacket. Another text from Sam had appeared. _"Tiggins needs some doggy treats, if they've got any. If not I'll run to the pet store tomorrow. I'll pay you back when you get here. Thanks." _

Mac dropped his phone back into his pocket and headed down the miscellaneous aisle to find dog treats for Tiggins. He was letting his mind go into the gutter, as Sam always said. He wanted to know how she'd be repaying him. He knew she had meant money, but hoped that she meant something else. He hadn't been paying much attention when he bumped into Ella McBride.

"Detective Taylor?" When he didn't reply, she took a step closer to him. "Ella McBride."

Mac nodded his head, "Of course. Doin' a little late night shopping?"

"I figured if I couldn't sleep…"

"Might as well be productive," he replied grabbing a box of cereal from the top shelf at the end of the aisle.

"Corn Flakes?"

Mac glanced at her from the corner off his eye.

"Thought cops were supposed to be adventurous," she smiled.

"We are. Look I have a half a gallon of milk here that expires in two days. So how are yah?"

"I'm good," she squeaked. "I went to see my mother yesterday. It was hard. For both of us."

Mac allowed Ella to get in the check out line in front of him, but she told him he could go first. And then she asked him if he wanted to have breakfast. Thank God Sam texted him again. He played it off as a work call, and parted ways with Ella McBride.

* * *

Mac opened Sam's front door, and was greeted once again by Tiggins. "Had a run in with Ella McBride," he told Sam.

"Is that the girl with all those weird confession card things you were talking about?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. I picked up some other groceries for my place. Mind if I leave it here 'till tomorrow?"

"That's fine. So what did she say?"

Mac padded towards the kitchen, set the milk in the fridge, and the dog treats under the sink. He poured Sam a glass of cranberry juice before setting that in the fridge beside his milk.

"Nothing really. Just about her mom a bit, small talk. Offered me to breakfast."

He handed her the glass. "Thanks," she replied as he sat down. "Did you go?"

"You saved me from that with your texting," he said rolling his eyes.

"Your welcome," she smiled.

"You okay? You seemed upset about something when I left earlier."

"Yeah," Sam said.

Mac placed her legs in his lap, and threw the Eeyore blanket over them. "I'm sorry I had to leave."

Sam nodded her head. "You said that already."

"I'm saying it again, because I am."

"You work a lot," Sam said.

"I know I do. I told you that before we got serious, so please don't get mad."

"I know you did. Am I getting mad? No."

"You're irritated."

"No, I'm just…. trying to figure out where I play out in all this. I mean you work 12-hour shifts, which is fine. Two night, two day, three off. But really, you only have one day off 'cause you work so much overtime. And when you _are_ off, you are always on call."

"Please," Mac groaned. "Please I don't want to fight over this. Don't make me pick between work and you."

"I don't want to fight over this either," Sam replied. "I'm not making you pick between me and work. I get it Mac. I understand how important your job is. What I'm trying to get at is, you sleep three hours a night. That's not healthy. You look so tired right now."

"I'm fine, Sam," Mac sighed.

"You don't look fine." She swung her legs from Mac's lap, and sat upright to face him.

"I feel fine," he protested.

"That's bullshit, and you know it."

"Okay. Then please, fill me in on what's going on then, Samantha. Since you are Mrs. Know-It-All."

"Why can't you sleep?" Sam asked him.

"Sam," Mac sighed.

"Mac," she pressed.

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "I'm tired. Can we go to bed?"

"Sure," Sam replied. "We can wake up in three hours, and have this conversation then."

"Just leave it alone."

"There's a reason you want to work so much, and there's a reason you can't sleep. If you can't tell me these things, how are we supposed to be in an honest relationship? Do you really not trust me enough to tell me what's going on?" She waited a few seconds, but Mac didn't answer her.

"I'm going to bed," Mac replied, standing up.

"Mac, you are obviously dreaming, or worrying about something."

"I'm not!" He yelled, clenching his fists.

She could have sworn she saw a vain pop in his neck. Her eyes filled with worry, and Mac realized that he was about to lash out.

"You're right," Sam replied. "You're perfectly fine," her voice was lower than a whisper, and he struggled to hear her words.

She headed down the hall, but then turned to face Mac. "People are allowed to have problems, Mac. Even you."

Mac sat down on Sam's couch trying to cool off before going to bed with Sam. He was pretty sure he scared her a bit when he had snapped, and he didn't want it happening again. She was right. He hadn't been sleeping much, and he'd been working a hell of a lot more. He'd been doing it the past eight years since Claire died. He hadn't been the same, and he wouldn't ever be the same. And it completely sucked.

After he'd calmed down, he headed for Sam's room, where she was already lying in bed. He stripped to his boxer briefs, and crawled beside her. "I have chronic insomnia," he told her.

"I figured that," she said sarcastically. She turned on her opposite side to face him. "Look Mac, I'm not asking you to tell me every little thing that's going on in your life. I'm not asking you to pour your heart out to me. What I don't understand is why you won't tell me anything."

"I tell you things."

"Yeah, about your cases. I know nothing about your family. I don't know anything about Claire. The only things I know about you other than small likes and dislikes was that you were a marine. I get why you're uncomfortable talking about Claire. I understand you may not of had the best childhood. But I didn't either. Why don't you talk with me about these things?"

"Is that what this is about? Or is it about work? Earlier you were mad I worked too much."

"I'm not mad, Mac. I'm just... It's not that you work too much. It's why you work."

"And why is that?"

"Because you are scared to sleep."

"I'm not scared to, I just can't."

"No. You don't want to see Claire's face. You don't want to see your father's face. You don't want to see the people that you killed. You don't want to see the bad guys that got away. Am I wrong?"

"No," Mac said, lying his head back on the pillow. "You're right," he whispered. "Do women have this thing where they don't give up until the man knows he's wrong?"

"No," Sam laughed. "We just know when _we're_ right."

"Figures," Mac said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Why do guys do that?" She asked, crossing her legs.

"Whenever women do something they ask why do women do that. I mean girls never go 'why do boys do this and that'? It's just the way you're programmed. Like pinching the bridge of your nose. Only guys do that. Because men have more natural body language then women."

"How do you know small things like that?"

"Somehow, like always, you seem to have gotten me off topic."

"I admitted you're right. What else do I have to do?"

"Try and sleep," she shrugged.

"How?"

"Easy. Roll onto your stomach."

"Why?"

"Because I say so."

Mac slowly rolled onto his stomach, after letting out a dramatic sigh. Sam climbed on top of him, and straddled his waist. She pressed her knuckles into the middle of his lower back, causing Mac to let out a groan. "When I was little, and I had a bad day… my mom and me would give each other back massages. To relieve stress."

She rubbed the sides of his waist, but stopped, and leaned over to squirt her hands with lotion.

"You are _not_ putting lotion on my back," Mac informed her.

"You can shower before you go to work so you don't smell like a female," Sam giggled. "It's not even smelly stuff its coconut oil for massages."

"No."

But it was too late. Sam was already running her hands up and down his spine, and kneading her fists into his back, until an hour later when he finally fell asleep.

* * *

Sam didn't wake him up at 5:30 to run. She figured it was the first time in a long, long while he'd gotten a good night's sleep, so she wasn't going to ruin that for him. Instead, she went running by herself, and then walked Tiggins. She took a shower, and then decided around 8 to wake Mac up.

She crawled back on the bed, and kissed the back of his neck. "Mac wake up," she whispered, running her hand down his back. She watched his body twitch before he opened his eyes.

"What time is it?" He asked her, when he realized she was in jeans and a t-shirt, her hair still wet, while he was just in his underwear.

"Eight. You fell asleep when I was giving you a massage last night."

"Why didn't you wake me to run?"

"You were too cute, sleeping," she giggled.

"Me? Cute? Isn't that supposed to be your thing?"

Sam blushed, and smacked him in the head with a pillow. Mac gave her a smile, and grabbed her waist to push her back down into the bed. She set his head on her chest, and glanced up at him.

"You should have woken me up so I could shower with you," he grinned.

"I thought about it," she shrugged. "But then I figured I could take another one with you later."

Mac let out a sigh, and squeezed Sam tighter to her. "I don't see my father when I close my eyes for the reason you think."

"What do you mean?" she asked, making a fist on his chest, using it to hold her chin up.

"You think I see him because he's the reason I went into the Marines, right?"

"Sure."

"I don't. I see him because I watched him die."

Sam sat up, and situated her pillow against her headboard as a cushion.

"When I was 20 he was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer. It was late when they caught it, and they didn't have all the treatments they do now. He got really sick towards the end."

"I was 28. He was in a bed the last eight months of his life, on a feeding tube. And I was by his side the whole time. And when he…he asked me to end his life for him." Sam watched Mac as he bit the inside of his cheek, to prevent his tears. "I couldn't do it. I knew it was what he wanted, but I couldn't kill my own father. I loved him."

Sam gently wiped off a stray tear from Mac's cheek, and gave him a weak smile. "He respected your decision."

"You don't know that. I don't even know that."

"I didn't know him, but to raise you, he had to have been one hell of a man. And I'm sure he wished he were dead rather than having a feeding tube down his throat. But he would have done the same if it was you."

Mac nodded his head, and set his hand over Sam's, just before his phone began to ring. "I'm sorry," he said after he read the text from Flack.

"Gotta go?" She asked.

"Yeah."

Sam nodded her head. "Be careful," she said, like she always did when Mac left for work. He slowly crawled out of bed, and grabbing some clothes from the drawer Sam had given him, headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

* * *

Stella and Lindsay sat in the break room, silently waiting for Mac to leave his office. "Okay, so what's the plan again?" Lindsay asked, sitting up as Mac set his phone down.

"I'm going to distract him, and you pickpocket him. Take his cell, and get Sam's number, then put it back."

"Why don't I just ask Danny for Sam's number?" Lindsay asked, raising her eyebrow at Stella.

"This is much more fun," Stella grinned.

"Fine, but if we get caught it's all on you."

"Hey, Sam deserves to get a heads up about this. And I actually want her to stick around. She makes him happy, unlike Peyton." Stella shivered at the mention of Mac's last permanent girlfriend, Peyton Driscall.

It wasn't that Stella didn't like Peyton. She had loved Peyton, but Mac and her always seemed to be fighting. And then when Peyton left him high and dry for her home country, and claimed things wouldn't work out, Stella was pissed. Peyton never seemed to be able to stick to anything she did. First teaching at a university, then back to the morgue, and then back to England, and now she wanted to come back to NYPD, and Stella wasn't going to let her ruin Mac's relationship with Sam.

Lindsay nodded towards Mac, who was in the lab with Adam. "Ready?"

"Yup," Stella smirked, jumping up, her coffee in hand. "Just try and make it quick."

Stella and Lindsay walked into the same lab that Adam was talking to Mac, and Stella accidentally dropped her coffee, and got some on Mac, while Lindsay took his phone from his jacket pocket when he leaned over. She easily put Sam's cell phone number in her own cell, and then bent over and pretended like she was picking up Mac's phone.

"Oh Mac," Lindsay said as Mac headed towards the glass doors. "You must have dropped this."

"Thanks," Mac said, taking his blackberry from Lindsay, and setting it back into his pocket.

"That was easy," Lindsay smirked.

"What did you guys do to his blackberry?" Adam asked, scratching his head.

"Nothing," Lindsay smiled, skipping away with Stella walking behind her.

* * *

Sam was sitting in a Starbucks when her phone rang with a number she didn't know. "Hello?" Sam asked, answering her phone.

_"Samantha?" A girl's voice came on the other end of the line._

"Who is this?"

_"Stella Bonasera. I work with Mac."_

"Is he okay?" Sam asked, closing her book, and setting it down beside her Frappicino.

_"Mac's fine," Stella assured her. "Actually I'm calling because I was looking forward to meeting you last night, and unfortunately we couldn't. So Lindsay was willing to take us out to lunch if you'd like to meet up. Lindsay, Detective Angell, and myself that is."_

"Now?" Sam asked, looking at her clock to see that it was one in the afternoon.

_"Yeah, Mac was talking about going to Sullivan's tonight, and we just wanted to meet up with you."_

"Oh…Okay, I guess that's fine. Where do you want…want to uhmm meet?"

_"Do you know where Ray's is?"_

"Yeah, actually I'm about two blocks from it."

_"Great, we're all here. I'm the one with the curly hair."_

"Okay, see you soon then," Sam said, hanging up her phone. She slowly finished her drink, and when she was finished she walked to Ray's, in order to meet the people that she'd been so nervous about meeting.

She instantly recognized Lindsay, and knew the woman sitting beside her was Stella, so the girl across from them had to have been Angell. She walked towards them, and sat down beside Angell.

"Hey," Lindsay smiled, greeting Sam. She introduced the women, and then took a sip of her water.

"So, I guess you're wondering why we asked to meet with you," Stella smiled.

"They did," Jess smiled. "I wanted to wait until tonight, and let Mac introduce us.

"It's fine," Sam smiled. "So, what's up?"

"Well, we just wanted to give you a heads up," Lindsay replied.

"Yeah I didn't know about tonight," Sam said. "Mac didn't mention it this morning."

"Oh," Jess smirked. "So he spent the night?"

Sam's face turned red. "Kind of," she said, picking her nails.

"Well, uhmm, has Mac ever told you about Peyton?" Stella asked.

"He's mentioned her," Sam nodded. She suddenly felt uncomfortable talking about Mac's ex-girlfriends with girls she didn't know. Girls that worked with him on a daily basis.

"What did he say?"

"Is this like a test or something? To see if I'll talk about him behind his back?" Sam asked, scrunching her face in disproval.

"No," Jess said. "Stella's not making it clear. Look, I don't know if you knew about him and Peyton…"

"I know that they dated. That she moved to England, and that she helped him move on after Claire. I know that they were serious."

"Right, well she moved back," Lindsay said.

"Okay?" Sam asked. "And this has something to do with me because?"

"She's working with Mac again."

"Mac's an adult," Sam said. "He can make his own decisions."

"We know that, but we're scared she'll like brainwash him or something!" Jess blurted, causing Sam to let out a giggle. "We're just giving you a heads up, that she will more than likely be there tonight."

"Joy," Sam said sarcastically. "So is she hot? Do I have to worry about her out looking me?"

"No," Lindsay said. "I mean she's cute, but you're way prettier."

"But she's way older. I'm younger. He needs someone more his age, right? She's out aging me."

"He needs someone more on his page," Stella said. "You… you're more on his page."

"Alright," Sam said nodding her head.

"Okay," Lindsay smiled.

"So, I hear you've got kids," Jess said.

Sam spit out her drink. "No. I have a little brother who lives with me."

"He's two right?"

"That's his son, Leo."

The girls ate a large pizza and talked about small things, making Sam feel more at ease, before they parted ways, leaving Sam glad that they seemed to like her. Angell had even given her cell phone number and told her whenever she was free they could go shopping. Despite all the nerves meeting these people had given her, she had realized how stupid it had been, because they were all welcoming her, and they were kind enough to give her a heads up about Peyton.

* * *

Sam waited outside of Sullivan's for Mac like he had asked her. She smiled when he approached her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Look, I'm really sorry about what's going to happen," he whispered in her ear. She was pressed against the cold brick wall, and she managed to wrap her arms around his waist.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"Do you remember Peyton?" Mac asked, as he watched Sam look up and then nod her head. "Well, she just moved back from England, and she's inside, sitting with everyone."

Sam looked at her feet, then back at Mac. "Okay," Sam said.

"Look I'm-" Mac stopped speaking and looked at her. "Okay?"

"Thanks for telling me," she said, kissing him.

"You aren't upset."

"You're with me now, and if you want to go back to her I know you'll tell me," she shrugged. "But I also know that you want to be with _me_."

"I do," Mac smiled. He gently grabbed her hand, and pulled her towards the entrance of the bar.

Sam followed him- their hands intertwined- to a table in the back, and happily shook hands with everyone, even Stella and Angell, who she'd just met a few hours ago. Peyton had been a bit reluctant at first, but put on a fake smile and shook Sam's hand.

After the introductions had been made, Mac sat down, and Sam followed him. He set his hand on her thigh, and took the beer that Flack had offered him.

"So, Sam," Peyton spoke in her perfect British accent. "How long have you and Mac been dating?"

Sam turned to give her the same cold look that Peyton had been giving her all night, and replied with, "A few months."

Peyton slowly nodded her head, and took a sip of her root beer, the only one at the table not drinking.

Mac kissed the top of Sam's head, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, to pull her closer to him, trying to show Peyton that he was serious about her, and that he wasn't scared of showing Sam off.

"So have you guys been to any musicals?" Peyton asked, directing the question at Sam.

Sam turned to look at Mac, giving him a confused look. She didn't know that Peyton was talking about, and she could tell that by the look on Mac's face, it had hit home.

"Mac and I prefer to hang out at the zoo with the tigers," Sam smiled, playfully elbowing him in the rib. "I bring out the younger side of him. Well, I guess the tigers do. I still can't get him to order chocolate ice cream though. He likes his vanilla."

Though Sam felt like she was acting like a teenager again, she was trying to lighten the mood between the group that Peyton had somehow managed to create between them. She didn't care if Peyton thought she was immature because she liked to see tigers in a zoo, but she was sure that Mac was smiling now.

"So no musicals then?" Peyton asked.

"No," Sam smiled. "I know Claire loved them. I don't want him to have to re-live those memories if he doesn't wan too. Besides, I'd like Mac to keep that memory of her. He can always make different ones with me. Like the zoo."

"Thanks," Mac whispered in Sam's ear after Peyton finally decided to shut up. She was definitely shocked that Sam called her out on trying to make Mac re-live a memory that he had with Claire by taking him to musicals and operas and other fancy shows that Claire had once enjoyed with him.

* * *

Mac and Sam were the third last to leave, before Danny and Angell. Mac had wanted to leave a lot earlier, but Sam had wanted to stay until after Peyton had left, which was about thirty minutes ago. Sam had beaten Mac and Flack in two games of pool, and lost her last game with Danny. She and Mac were now in a cab on their way back to his apartment for the night.

"Thanks for sticking up for us in front of Peyton," Mac said, as they came to a stop at a red light.

"Your welcome," Sam said, giving him a kiss. "I don't like her though."

Mac smiled at Sam as she scrunched her nose up in disgust. "Did you mean it about the musicals?"

Sam shrugged. "I figured Claire liked them, so I just ran with it. Was I right?"

Mac nodded his head. "I figured that. But what I meant was, did you mean you don't want to make me re-live moments with you."

"Yeah," Sam replied. "I did. I'm not here to make you grieve over her. I'm here to _help_ you." She gave him another kiss. "That and you know how to make me _really _happy." She ran her hands along the front of his pants.

"You drank too much," Mac observed.

"Mac I had two bottles of beer. You had more than me."

"No I didn't."

"You had four, I counted."

Sam giggled in his ear when she noticed him blushing. "I'm sorry," she whispered, sitting up straight.

Mac paid the taxi driver, and helped Sam climb out of the cab. She walked up the steps and into Mac's lobby, and pressed the fourth level button on the elevator for Mac. "Can we have burgers when we get upstairs?" Sam asked him.

"I don't think I have any burgers, honey," Mac replied. "How about peanut butter and fluff?"

"That's fine," she told him following him out of the elevator when it opened. She caught up to him, and waited for him to open the door. Mac allowed her to go in first, while she plopped onto the couch.

"Thirsty?" he asked, unbuttoning his work shirt.

"Nope," she said, taking off her shoes.

Mac sat down beside her to take off his own shoes. Sam crossed her legs, and kissed Mac's jaw line, as she unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. She gently tugged at the corners of his shirt, pulling him on top of her, causing him to hold her face as he kissed her more passionately.

His lips tasted like beer as she traveled his body with the tips of her fingers, until he finally allowed her to take his undershirt off. He brushed back her hair from her face, and placed a kiss on her neck, and her collarbone, and lifted her shirt off so he could kiss between her breasts, and down her stomach. When he reached the side of her waist, she started to giggle.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, looking up.

"That's my ticklish spot," She told him, running a hand through her hair.

"All these times I've ran my hand down this spot and you've never laughed before."

"Because it feels different when you kiss it," she told him.

"Okay," he nodded his head. "So I wont kiss you anymore."

"No," she said, tugging at his shirt. "I like when you kiss me."

"Do you?" he asked, kissing her bellybutton.

"Yes," she smiled.

"How much?"

"A lot."

"Show me how much," he grinned, rolling her on top of him.

"That'll be easy," she smiled, kissing the scar on his chest. She trailed kisses along his torso, teasing him, until he finally told her that he couldn't handle it anymore. She gave him an evil smirk, and stood up, leaving him on the couch as she walked towards his bedroom. And just seconds later, he was behind her, taking off what little of the clothes she had on.

* * *

_Thanks to my lovely reviewers!! So sorry i didn't reply this time around, I kind of forgot, and now I sort of don't feel like it because it's only fun when you first get them!! But I will reply this time. _

**iheartcsinewyork**

**witchbaby300**

**BlueEyedAuthor**

**Blaze709**


	9. Sammie's Day

**Ships: Nothing but Mac/Sam this chapter. Some Claire. **

**Disclaimer: CSI:NY belongs to CBS.**

**A/N: Fluff. Enjoy!!**

* * *

Mac let out a sigh of relief as he skillfully maneuvered from Samantha's death grip on his shirt. He knew she rarely slept through any quiet disruptions. He tried many times to sneak out without waking her up, but failed miserably every time. He didn't understand why she slept so lightly, and he didn't understand why she couldn't fall asleep unless some part of her body was touching his.

When he had slowly moved out of the bed, and into the living room, he patted himself on the back. He just did the impossible. But he had noticed Sam turning in her sleep tonight. He didn't know why, but she was having a bad dream. He sat down on her couch, turned the TV on, flipped the volume to mute, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated having nightmares. It wasn't always Claire that haunted him, but tonight it was. His dreams rarely had plots. Instead, they were flashes of visions, and voiceovers of thoughts. Claire's face burning. Claire holding a baby. Claire riding a bicycle, Claire giving him a kiss on his cheek. And her voice. _Why, Mac? Look at the baby, Mac. Help me, Mac. I love you, Mac. _All words that Claire was saying in his dreams. None of it made sense.

He didn't understand why she was coming back into his dreams. She had just gone away a few months ago. Thanks to Sam giving him massages all the time. Was he feeling guilty about being with Sam? Was Claire trying to send him a message?

Tiggins began pawing at his feet, whining, as he rubbed his head into Mac's legs. Mac looked down, and rolled his eyes. He didn't like animals. He never had them growing up. But Sam said that every child needed a dog, and he agreed. Every child did need a dog. So he had gone to the pound to help pick out a little rascal for his girlfriend's nephew.

It was weird for him to say girlfriend. He was 45 now, and he had a girlfriend. He'd be close to sixty before his kids were even born. If Sam even wanted to have his children. He was sure that she was it for him. If she wasn't the one, he didn't know who was. She effortlessly made him laugh, and though they had only one serious fight, she stood her ground. He needed someone that wasn't scared to tell him he was wrong. Because he hated when he was wrong.

But at the same time, she knew when to back off. When it wasn't worth fighting with him, when he just needed someone to give him a kiss after a long day. She knew when he needed her to let it go, when he needed someone to fight with, and when to shut the hell up.

He chuckled at his last thought, as he patted the cushion next to him, an indication to the dog that he was allowed to sit beside him.

Sam did _know_ when to shut the hell up, but she rarely ever _did_. She knew when Mac wanted her to stop giggling, or crack a joke, but she'd do it one more time to irritate him, and then she'd do it another time to get a giggle out of it for herself. And the third time, he tickled her until she begged him to stop, and he would make a compromise. "If you shut up, I'll stop tickling you," he had said on more than one occasion.

"Deal," she'd giggle. But ten minutes later she'd find a way to quietly irritate him without talking. She had figured out he hated feet. That when she took her socks off, and ran her bare feet on the inside of his bare leg, he would cringe.

Samantha knew how to make him love her, even if she didn't exactly know that's what was happening.

He heard a stir coming from what he knew was Leo's room. It was 6 in the morning, wake up call for the little guy. He stood up, and headed down the hall, past Sam's bedroom, and into the catastrophic mess of Timmy and Leo's shared bedroom. The room was a mess, except the wall that Leo's crib sat on. Sam had kept it clean, but she refused to do Timmy's laundry, and she had taped a box to the floor. If Timmy's possessions crossed it, and she had to move it, it would be thrown away.

"Hi-a Mac!" Leo clapped from his crib. "Mam?"

"Sam is sleeping," Mac sad scooping Leo up from his crib. "Quiet, okay?"

"No, no, talk!" Leo whispered excitedly.

"No, no talk," Mac nodded his head. He glanced at the unmade bed that Timmy usually slept in. He wasn't home. Once again he never came home, and Mac knew the reason why. He was too high. Sam knew it too, though she was scared to admit it to Mac.

"You poop?" Mac asked, sniffing the baby.

"Yes," Leo giggled.

Mac let out a sigh. He had an idea how to change a diaper, but he hadn't done it since his little sister was a baby. He was 11, and he never had to change poop diapers. Mac stopped for a second. Sam was the same age as his baby sister.

He shook the thought as he grabbed a clean diaper, and a box of wipes. "Here's how this works, big guy," Mac whispered, scared Sam would hear them. Mac let the diaper and wipes fall onto Timmy's unmade bed, and then threw Leo up in the air, and let him land on the bed, causing Leo to giggle.

"Gan, Mac!"

"After your diaper," Mac replied. Mac was surprised with Leo. Mac had pulled his jammies off, and undid the diaper, revealing a dirty diaper. But Leo knew what to do. He eagerly lifted his legs up, and held them while Mac reluctantly wiped his butt.

"Done?" Leo asked.

"Yes," Mac replied. Leo plopped his legs down, and even helped Mac fasten the diaper. He stood up, in just his diaper, and clapped his hands.

"Mam dresses."

"She dresses you," Mac confirmed. "Stay on the bed."

"No, no move!"

Mac headed back to Leo's crib, and found an outfit already picked out for day. _Thank you babe_, Mac thought, grateful Sam had thought to lay out the next days clothes. There was no way he would have been able to find anything in this room if he tried.

* * *

"April showers bring May flowers," Sam heard Mac's distinctive voice speaking to someone. She wasn't sure who. She rolled over on her back, clad in a black tank top, and blue soffee shorts. Her alarm clock read 8:34. How had she not heard Leo wake up? How had she not heard Mac climb out of bed to get her nephew?

She heard Leo attempting to repeat what Mac had just explained to him. "Pool shows…. (a bunch of gibberish)….May flowers!" Leo squealed.

"Close enough," Mac sighed, causing Sam to giggle. She figured he'd been trying to teach him how to say it all morning. Leo usually woke up at 6 every day, so she felt bad for sleeping through it.

She found the willpower to climb out of bed, pulled back the comforter, pulled a decent shirt on, and made her way down the hall, and into the kitchen. Mac was cooking something wearing dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt, while Leo stood by his side, tugging on his pants leg.

Leo turned and smiled at Sam. "Mam!" he smiled. "Beck-fast! Mac make-a da bacon."

"You love bacon," Sam smiled.

"I like-a da bacon!" Leo skipped towards her, and skidded to a halt when he reached her leg. "Up Mam!"

Sam picked Leo up, and set him on her hip, heading over to see what Mac had been cooking. She kissed his cheek, and with her free hand, rubbed his back. "Morning," she smiled.

"Happy Mother's day," Mac replied, wrapping his arm around her waist. "I was going to bring it to you in bed."

"Why?" Sam asked, looking up at him.

"Because it's Mother's day," he shrugged. Sam gave him a funny look, confused at what he was getting to. She wasn't a mommy, and she didn't have one to call.

"You don't have to literally be a mother to be appreciated on Mother's day," Mac said, flipping a pancake over. "You're a mother. To Leo, and Timmy. You've sacrificed a lot for them, and I'm giving you breakfast."

Sam nodded her head, and set Leo back on his feet. "Mam, Pool shows May flowers!" Leo shrieked.

"I'm trying to teach him April showers bring May flowers."

Sam nodded her head. "April," she said slowly for Leo to listen. "April."

"'Pril," he repeated.

"Showers."

Leo sat down, struggling to say the word.

"Flower shower," Sam said, messing up his hair.

"Showers!"

"Good job. April showers."

"'Pril showers, May flowers!" Leo said jumping up.

"Good job," Mac said. He turned to smile at Sam. "I've been trying to get him to say that since 7."

"Gotta break it down for him," Sam replied, walking back to the stove. "Need help, honey?"

"Will you relax?" Mac laughed, "I've cooked before."

"You have?"

"Every year I cooked for my mother," he replied. "Claire and I took turns every other night, or really whenever I was off I cooked. Peyton never cooked a damned thing," he chuckled, recalling many nights she'd ask him to take her out to dinner, but instead he would cook.

"Why don't you ever cook for me?" she asked innocently, tilting her head to the side.

"Because you've already cooked by the time I'm home," he told her.

She smiled when he said "home. He called her apartment his home. They rarely went to his apartment anymore, except the rare weekends Timmy had no plans, Mac was off, and they planned to stay out late, which had only happened once since the night Sam had gone to Sullivan's to meet everyone.

"You've been having a lot of weekends off," she observed, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Maybe I just like you too much to ask for less overtime," he smiled, kissing her nose. "Orange juice or coffee?"

Sam raised her eyebrows as if he was asking her a trick question.

"Okay," he chuckled. "I didn't know if you wanted orange juice with cranberry juice or if you wanted coffee. You change your mind all the time."

"Coffee."

He nodded his head. "Leo wants to take Tiggins for a walk. I told him we could go to the park later. I hope you don't mind. If you do, he'll probably forget I even mentioned it."

"I'll take him," she said. "By the way," she kissed his ear, and let her breath linger on his neck. "Those are my favorite jeans on you."

"They're new," Mac replied. Sam picked Leo up, set him in a chair at the table, and gave him a plate filled with pancakes, bacon, and syrup.

"I like-a da bacon!" Leo shrieked, grabbing his sippy cup.

Sam walked to the coffee maker to pour Mac and her each a cup, while Mac set the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. "Apparently your nephew likes bacon," Mac informed Sam.

"No," Sam giggled. "He like-a da bacon."

"Bacon!" Leo chimed in with a giggle.

"Eat your pancakes too," Sam replied.

Leo picked up a piece of pancake and popped it into his mouth. "Yummy!" he smiled, rubbing his belly.

* * *

Sam set her feet into the bathtub, and gently eased her way into the hot water. Mac was putting Leo in his crib for her. She let her head hit the back of the wall, and closed her eyes. Today had gone well. It felt good to be pampered. Mac had cooked her breakfast, and then took Leo and her out for a walk. He put Leo down for his nap, and gave her a massage. When Leo woke up, he took them to the zoo, and bought Leo a stuffed lion. He gave money to Sam to get a pedicure while he took Leo to Toys R Us, and now he was reading Leo a story before he went to bed.

She didn't think that she deserved it. She wasn't a mother. But Mac insisted on giving her a day to herself. He told her it was always good to take a day off. And he'd been right. She felt refreshed since this morning. No worries on her plate. Leo was taken care of, and she didn't have work.

Mac poked his head into the bathroom, and smiled at Sam. "He's down."

Sam nodded her head. "Wanna join me?" she asked, her eyes still closed. After a minute she hadn't heard an answer, so she turned her head and opened her eyes. Mac was folding his clothes, and set them on the counter, before he climbed into the tub. Sam couldn't help but let out a giggle.

"What's so funny?" Mac asked, sitting behind Samantha.

"You're clothes are dirty. But you have to fold them anyway." She pressed her back against his chest, and rested her head under his chin.

Mac ran his fingers along her shoulder, and down her arm.

"Thanks for today," she said.

"Least I could do," Mac whispered. "Leo knows how to shit though," he laughed.

Sam let out a giggle. "How many times?"

"Three."

"Oh my God. He must like you," she laughed.

Mac gently kissed her neck, and ran his hands along her stomach under the water. "You're amazing," he whispered in her ear. "Beautiful." He brushed her hair back, and kissed her jaw. "Smart."

"What do you want?" Sam laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"You're working up for something."

Mack let out a chuckle. "Do you want to go to Chicago with me next weekend?"

"For what?"

"My sister's 34th birthday party."

"She's having a party for her 34th?"

"It's more of a barbecue."

"I need to make sure Timmy will be okay with Lee."

"So that's a yes?"

"If Timmy's okay with Leo."

"Okay."

Sam turned her head towards the door. "Is that your phone or mine?" she asked, sitting up.

"Mine," he sighed. "It's always mine."

"Have fun at work."

Sam scooted up so Mac could get out of the tub. He climbed out, and wrapped a towel around his waist before grabbing his phone from his pocket on the counter. "Detective Taylor," Mac spoke. "How is he? Okay, I'll call Danny and have him come in…I'll be there… what hospital? Thanks Flack."

"Is somebody hurt?" Sam asked.

"A vic survived."

"What happened?"

"That's what I have to find out."

Sam nodded her head. Mac set his hands on the tub, and leaned down to give her a kiss. "I'll be careful," he said, taking the words out of her mouth. She reached up with her hand, and splattered bubbles on his nose. "Thanks," he laughed.

She let out a giggle as he wiped of his face. "Go get dressed. And make sure you lock the door please."

"I smell like lavender," he said, standing upright. She watched him walk out of the bathroom, a smile on her face, before she sunk under the water to wet her hair. She finished her bath, and then drained the tub. Sam sat on her bed, and painted her toenails, and flipped pillows with Mac, his smelled like him. She fell asleep, a sheet wrapped around her body, and her nose in Mac's pillow.

* * *

Mac slid back into Samantha's bed at 3 in the morning. He undressed into his sweatpants before crawling under the covers. Sam turned around to face him, her eyes still closed. "That was quick," she mumbled.

"Open and shut." He ran his fingers through her hair. "Are you naked?"

"Mhmm," she nodded her head. "That bother you?" She opened her eyes, and smiled at Mac until she noticed the gauze pad over his left eye. "What happened?"

"Got into a fight with a suspect. Cut my head on some glass."

She gently took the patch off his head, and ran her fingers over the cut. "How many stitches?"

"Nine," he lied, knowing she would freak if he said 15. This was the first time he'd been badly hurt since they were together, and he knew it would wind up in a fight. It always did. The first time Claire had been with him when he was shot in the arm had resulted in a fight. When he had been in a bomb a few years back, though he had only been dating Peyton for about three weeks, she had flipped out. And he knew Sam would be upset if he made it seem as bad as it really was. He was too tired to deal with it right now. He just wanted sleep.

"You're gonna have a nasty headache tomorrow. I'd take some Tylenol now."

"Already did."

"Do you have a concussion?"

He nodded his head.

"Did they give you any medicine to keep you awake? Or for the pain? You can go into a coma if you fall asleep. Did they monitor you?"

He nodded his head, not wanting to tell her he wasn't taking the vicodin they had prescribed.

"Go back to bed, babe," Mac sighed.

She nodded her head, "Next time. A call would be nice. Okay?"

"You aren't upset?"

Sam closed her eyes, and intertwined their hands. "Just relieved it wasn't worse. But I'd like a phone call. It's bad enough to have worried about Danny all these years. I don't like doing it with you too."

Mac let out a sigh of relief. That had gone way better than he expected. "You worry about me?" he asked, after he realized she admitted she worried about him.

"When you don't call me or text me every few hours, and I know you're at work," she admitted.

"Why?"

"Because. I just…I care about you."

Mac set his free hand on Sam's face, and kissed her forehead. "Sam, look at me."

She opened her eyes, and looked him in the eye.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon."

"Neither was Louie," she whispered. "Neither was Claire."

Mac closed his eyes, and gently pressed his lips to hers. She was right. "We can't control death," he told her. "Which makes it a rational fear to have. But I'm not scared, and you shouldn't be either."

"I am," she whispered. "I'm not scared to die. I'm scared of what happens to me if _you_ die."

"There is a better chance of me dieing in a car accident than on the job, okay?"

"Says that scar on your eye."

"Just like when you played softball. You got scraped up a bit. This is the same thing. It comes with the territory."

"Okay," she nodded her head, a bit more relaxed.

"Sam," Mac whispered, brushing her hair from her face.

"Mac?"

He let out a deep breath, causing the hair on the back of Sam's neck to stand up. He closed his eyes, took in her coconut lotion, and felt her breath breathing steadily in and out against his face. The same as his breath was doing to her. He opened his eyes, and smiled at her. She was curled in fetal position, one hand between her legs, the other tightly holding onto his. He could see the sparkle in her hazel eyes. They were a bit greener right now, and he noticed they always turned green when they were close like this.

"I ugh," he stopped, and watched her chest move up and down as she breathed, and watched her blink her eyes. "I love you, Samantha," he choked out.

She nodded her head, and smiled after she'd gotten over the initial shock. His voice was shaking, and she saw the fear in his eyes. She kissed his nose, and then his lips, and tugged at the string on his pants. "I think I just might love you too." She rolled on top of him, and pressed her lips against his chest.

"You look good in sheets," he grinned, flipping her on her back.

"And you look good in sweatpants," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned up and gave him another kiss, a smile on her face. "But you should probably take them off." Mac laughed, but did what he was told.

* * *

Thanks to my reviewers! No particular order.

**iheartcsinewyork**

**Blaze709**

**hope4sall**

**EastAngels2009**

**BlueEyedAuthor **

_A/N: Just a heads up. I've already started the next chapter. It's going to take place in Chicago mostly. The story is **probably** going to end within the next few chapters. But I'm thinking about a sequel._


	10. We're a Team

**A/N:** Wow guys, it's been almost four months since I updated. But I promised you a trip to Chicago, and here t is! Do you forgive me? I hope so. If you hate me understand that too.... but ENJOY...please. I think that's all I've got to say. If you'd like to chat, give me a PM! :D

**Ships:** Sam and Mac all the way. Mentions of Claire. You know the drill...

**Disclaimer: **Samantha Parker belongs to me, but the cast of CSI:NY unfortunately doesn't. Is it really necessary to have to write that every update?? Cause I mean it hurts every time I have to admit that!

* * *

The case was finally over. He and the team had gotten Preston Wiley to confess, and he had just finished the paperwork. He could go home, and help Sam pack, and get a few hours of sleep before they had to go to the airport. He shut down his computer, and grabbed his tie and coat hanging from his coat rack just three feet from the door. All he had to do was keep his head down, and make it to the elevator without anyone noticing him.

He tugged his coat on, and opened his office door, and held his breath when Peyton Driscoll shouted his name. He tried his best to ignore her, but she called his name for a second time. "Peyton," he said, turning on his heels.

"Hi," she smiled. "I was hoping, that well maybe we could get together over some coffee. And talk. I think we need to talk."

Mac nodded his head. "I agree with you. But I'm busy right now."

"Oh? I thought you were leaving your shift. My apologies."

"I am leaving my shift," Mac nodded his head. "And I won't be back until Tuesday."

"Right," Peyton nodded her head. "Maybe some time before then? Or after."

"I'm actually going to Illinois with my girlfriend. So after?"

"Oh. Wow. I didn't actually believe you were serious about her," Peyton blinked, shaking her head. "I apologize again."

Mac let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I like Samantha," Mac told her. "I love her, in fact. I loved you, Peyton. But I'm in love with Sam. And we can talk. We'll talk over coffee. After I talk to her and make sure she is comfortable with you and I talking. Not before and not until."

"So she's got you whipped?" Peyton smirked, stepping forward.

"No. I respect her, and I won't make her feel as if I'm going behind her back." Mac stepped back, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I've got to go."

"You've got my number."

* * *

_ "Does he have a sexy voice?"_ Scott Parker asked his baby sister. The two hadn't talked in close to a year. Sam had decided to give him a call before leaving for Chicago.

"Yes," Sam laughed. "It's like…raspy but edgy. And he plays the bass."

Mac pressed his ear against the door as he listened to Samantha speak on the phone with someone. He smiled when he realized that she was talking about him on the phone.

"No," he heard her voice, and he could visualize her shake her head. "He's a detective. He works with Danny. Rather Danny works for him…Mac…yeah a bit older, but it's not a big deal…11 years…a few months, I guess. Six or seven maybe. No, he's not a douche," Sam sighed, causing Mac to laugh. "What about you?" Sam stopped, and Mac figured she was sitting on the bed. "Does _Todd_ have a sexy voice?"

He listened to Sam let out a giggle. "Let me guess. Blond, blue eyed, ripped as hell, Boston accent….I know my brother. So who is gonna ask who? You did what! A boy or girl?"

Mac gently knocked on the door, deciding that Sam was finished talking about him, and then stepped into the bedroom. "Hold on," Sam said to Scott. She pressed the phone to her chest and then smiled at Mac. "You're home early."

"Closed the case early," Mac explained, kissing her cheek.

"Okay, I'll let you go, call me when you two are in the City. I love you….no you can't stay here. Because Tim and Leo are already crammed in one bedroom. There's one couch. Where is Todd going to sleep….no it doesn't pull out. Okay, Scott, I have to go. We'll worry about it when you guys are here. Good luck with the kid. Love you," Sam let out a sigh as she hung up the phone.

"Scott?" Mac asked, sitting on the bed to pull his shoes and socks off.

"He and his boyfriend are living in Hawaii," she said rolling her eyes.

"I didn't know he was gay."

"Well, he was bi, but I guess he found the right guy. They applied for adoption. They are coming back to New York in a few weeks to meet with a few parents."

"Oh yeah?" Mac asked, scrunching his face up. "Boy or girl?"

"Girl," Sam said, lying down on her stomach. "I need to pack still," she sighed.

"You should have done it last night when I did."

"I didn't feel like it," she mumbled, as Mac lie beside her.

"When did Tim get in?" Mac asked, running his hand down Sam's back.

"Seven. I asked him to cook Leo dinner so I could get some cleaning done before we left. He can be a good father if he tries."

"That's good."

"He wants to move out after he graduates next month."

"What did you say?"

"That he should go to college. But he swears he has a job lined up."

"Why isn't he going to college?"

"Because I can't make him. Trust me if it was up to me he'd be going. But it's his decision, and he wants to be with Leo. So I made a deal with him. I have a contract for this place for the next four months. If he can pay the rent and bills for those four months, I'll resign the contract, put down first and last month's rent, and I'll find another place for me."

"Did he accept?"

"Yes." She played with a strand of hair, while Mac looked at her. She cupped his face in her hands, and gave him a soft smile. "Why didn't you and Claire have children?"

Mac let out a deep breath, and sat on the bed. He knew that question was bound to pop up at any time. He was expecting Samantha would want to talk about having children with him before asking why he didn't have them with another woman. But like always, Samantha gave him a run for his money.

Sam sat beside her boyfriend, and reached for his hand, which he gratefully took. "Claire wanted them, but I didn't," he started, looking at Sam. "I thought we would have time. She had asked me over and over, but I told her that I wanted my career to start off first. I was afraid of what would happen if we had a baby financial wise. About a year before she died, we decided to start trying. But it never happened. The doctor told her she couldn't have them. And adoption was out of the question for her. She would say that God was punishing her for…" Mac stopped speaking, realizing he never told Sam about Reed.

"For what?" Sam asked, scrunching her eyebrows.

"When she was a sophomore in high school she got pregnant," Mac explained. "She thought she was in love, and she thought she had to show it to that boy, and her parents made her give him up, I was about 22 at the time, I'd grown up near her. And I had come home for Christmas. I was the first person she had told. I told her she should keep Ryan, That was what she named him. But her parents wouldn't go for it. So she put him up for adoption. He lives in New York now. But his parents renamed him Reed. But Claire always said God was punishing her for putting him up for adoption."

Sam shook her head in disbelief, before she noticed the face Mac had been sporting. She knew by now that it was his angry face. She could tell by the way he picked a spot on the wall ahead of him, and didn't blink. "So, you still talk to Reed?" she asked.

"Every once and a while we get together for a slice of pizza. To talk about Claire. He never got to meet her. He turned 18 a couple years after she died, and when he came to look for her, she was gone."

Sam nodded her head as she ran her hand down Mac's back showing that she wasn't upset with him for keeping something that big from her. "Thanks for telling me."

Mac nodded his head, and looked at her. "I would like them though. Children. Maybe just one. Do you?"

Sam shrugged. "I did when I was little. But I think I would be fine without them."

"Why don't you want them anymore?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't think I would be able to handle it. Not after what happened when I was pregnant before."

"What would you have named her?" Mac asked.

"Rene," Sam said. "Louie wanted to name her Rene."

Mac nodded his head, and then laid back down, Samantha followed his lead. She pressed her head against his chest, and Mac wrapped his arm around her. "I like that we can go from subject to subject like this," he told her. "So is Scott staying here?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded her head. "He and his boyfriend just for a few days. And then we're going to drive to North Jersey where my Dad lives and stay there a few days. Tommy might come out from the rock he's been living in and visit too."

Mac nodded his head. "That sounds fun."

"Would you like to come?" Sam looked up at him.

"Sure," Mac nodded his head. "If I can get a few days off."

"You're already off that weekend," Sam replied. "I checked your schedule." Sam let out a giggle when he didn't reply. "I'm meeting your family. You have to meet mine too."

"I guess that's fair," he sighed.

"I gotta pack," Sam groaned.

"I'll help."

Sam reluctantly stood up, and left the room to get her laundry from the dryer. She came back ten minutes later with a white basket full of her clothes, and threw them on top of Mac who was still lying on the bed. "Oops," she said innocently. "I didn't see you there."

"Yeah, right," Mac laughed.

Sam grabbed a shirt from the bed, scrunched her eyebrows and wrinkled her nose, as she began folding her clothes.

Mac stood next to her, and picked up a pair of unfolded jeans from the bed. Sam watched him scrunch his eyebrows in concentration as he neatly lined up the creases in the legs, lined the zipper with the fold, and folded the jeans into three equal parts before placing them into the suitcase. He grabbed a black t-shirt and folded it with the same concentration as before placing it neatly on top of the jeans.

She knew why he did that. She knew that being in the Marines caused him to be paranoid about having perfectly folded clothes. Her father was the same way when he folded his clothes. She had even picked up on it after seeing her father neatly fold things crease-to-crease, corner-to-corner, fold-to-fold.

Sam pulled the jeans from the suitcase, and set them on the bed. "You may have OCD when it comes to _folding_," she started. "But I have OCD when it comes to _organizing_ my clothes." She placed a hand on his face and kissed his cheek. "So you fold, and I'll pile."

"Teamwork," Mac nodded his head, grabbing a pair of pajama pants.

"Okay," Sam nodded her head. She turned on her side, and ran her fingers through Mac's hair. "Your hair is getting wavy," she told him, twisting a strand of his hair between her fingers.

"I haven't had time to get it cut," he mumbled, continuing to fold Sam's clothes.

"I like it," she smiled, pressing her chest against his side, and kissing his ear, still playing with his hair.

"I don't," he grinned, setting the jeans he had picked up back on the bed. "But if you like it…" Mac wrapped his hands around Sam's waist, and turned to face her. He gently used his foot to make her fall onto the bed, and leaned over to kiss her.

"I do," she giggled," unbuttoning his light blue shirt, and running her hands up his white undershirt. "You smell really good today too. What is that? New aftershave?"

"It is. I decided to go with Gravity."

"Very daring," Sam joked.

"Nah," Mac chuckled, unbuttoning Sam's jeans. "They were just out of what I usually get."

"I like it," she said, as Mac leaned down to kiss her neck.

* * *

Sam sat nervously on the plane, her hands gripping the armrests on either side of her. She was nervous about meeting Mac's sister, and his mom. Mothers were always worse when it came to their sons. She was scared. She knew they were going to ask her a thousand questions. A thousand too many that she wasn't ready for.

Mac wrapped his arm around Sam, shaking her from her thoughts. "You okay?" he asked, kissing the side of her head.

"Just one question."

"They liked Claire."

Sam nodded her head. "So they're going to hate me for a while then?"

Mac let out a chuckle. "You'll be fine."

"Is there anything I should know as a heads up?"

Mac shook his head. "Just be prepared for their questions."

"Oh great," she grumbled.

"Kristin will love you. You two are like the same person," Mac assured her. "Kathryn wont even be there. Her husband can't get off work. And I think my mom will like you."

"She's 80, Mac. My _grandma_ is younger than her."

"By two years," he laughed. "She has a kid that's 34 you know."

"Which makes it worse. I'm the same age as your sister. I should be dating her not you."

"I didn't think our age difference bothered you."

"It doesn't bother me. But is it gonna bother them?"

"Sam. My mom married my father when she was 16 and he was 25. I don't think she gives a shit if you're 20 as long as you make me happy. Kristin and you have a lot in common."

"Do I?" Sam asked.

"What?"

"Make you happy?"

"Of course you do," he said, kissing her. "You're freaking out for no reason."

"That's what I do," she said. "I freak out when I meet new people."

"You didn't freak out when you met me."

Sam let out a laugh. "If you recall that 9/11 dinner I almost shit myself being around all Danny's friends."

"You'll be fine," he assured her.

"I'll be fine after we land," she said, closing her eyes.

"You're not scared of flying too?" he sighed.

"I'm sorry! I can't help it. I'm scared of snakes, new people and planes. There has to be something you're scared of."

Mac let out a sigh. "There is. But I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"You don't trust me?"

He let out a another sigh. "Geese."

"Geese?"

"Geese."

"May I ask why?"

"I was attacked by them when I was a kid." Mac glanced at Sam from the corner of his eye, watching her trying not to laugh.

"That must have been…"

"Thanks," he said.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know. Geese can be mean animals. They _are_ mean animals. I just. I'm sorry." Mac rolled his eyes. "Did you get hurt badly?"

He gently nodded his head, and pointed to the right side of his chin where a tiny scar sat. "Three stitches right there…" he showed her his hand, were fix or six small scars splattered his fingertips.

"Aw," Sam said, taking his hand in hers. She pressed her lips to his index finger, and slowly kissed each scar. When she was finished, she turned to face him, and pressed a kiss to his chin. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you too," he smiled.

Mac closed his eyes, preparing himself for the fly. His hope was to sleep through the ride, but little did he know Samantha wasn't going to allow that. She would be in his ear the whole time, as she stuck her head out the window.

* * *

Sam stood next to their luggage as Mac hugged his baby sister. When he finished, he turned, and smiled at Sam. "This is Samantha. Samantha this is Kristin."

"It's nice to put a face to the name," Kristin smiled, squeezing Samantha tight to her chest. "Mac's talked about you tons."

After they hugged, Sam smiled at Kristin. "Mac's talked about you too," she said, eyeing the woman before her. Though she was supposed to be celebrating her 34th birthday this weekend, the girl looked to be 25. She had the same dark hair as Mac, and the same bone structure, and it was clear that she was aging well just as Mac had. She wore her hair in a pony tail, and dark skinny jeans with purple converses, and a plain black t-shirt. She was definitely hanging with the younger crowds as well.

Kristin headed to the back of the car, and opened the trunk, while Mac slid the luggage in the back. "I'm glad you guys could come. It should be fun. I hope. So I'm seeing someone new."

Mac rolled his eyes, and opened the front door for Samantha. "What's his name?"

"Jonathon," she smiled. "He's forty."

"Does he have kids?" Mac climbed into the back seat after helping Samantha, and strapped his seatbelt on as his sister drove away.

"One. A boy. Mark."

"You know what I think about older guys with kids," Mac replied.

"You're older," Kristin said, looking in the rearview mirror.

"Do I have kids?"

"You have Reed."

"That doesn't count," the two bickered.

"What's wrong with older men?" Kristen asked, turning to Samantha. "Do you see a problem with older men?"

"No," Sam laughed.

"Older men that were in marriages before are only looking for one thing Kristin," Mac explained.

"So you're only dating Samantha because you like to have sex with her? It's not because you might actually love her?"

"That is different," Mac explained. "I didn't willingly get pulled from my marriage. Older men who have been married before don't want to be married again. That's why they date younger people."

"He just likes the sex," Samantha giggled.

"That's a lie."

"So you don't like to have sex with her?" Kristin smiled at Samantha.

"I'm not satisfying?" Samantha asked Mac, feeding into Kristin's game.

"I give up," Mac sighed. His girlfriend and his sister were teaming up on him, and he knew he had no chance.

"I like you, Sam. You know how to make my brother blush."

"I like you too," Sam replied, letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She was relieved that one of the family members already liked her.

* * *

An hour later, Mac and Sam were unpacked in his childhood bedroom, and eating lunch in his mother's kitchen. The house, though very quiet was very welcoming. The walls were covered with pictures of everything from Mac's childhood to him and his father in their teen years, dressed in their uniforms. In the center of the old kitchen table sat a vase of yellow roses, and the smell of a chicken roasting filled the air. And though Sam felt the love in the home, she also felt the hostility. Mac had awkwardly hugged his mother, and kissed her cheek, told her he missed and loved her, and she hadn't said one word. She was still upset over her husband's death, no matter how long ago.

Kristin had taken Mrs. Taylor to bingo, leaving Mac and Sam alone, as they ate egg salad sandwiches, and drank lemonade.

"So," Mac said, chewing the last of his sandwich. "I think they like you so far."

Sam nodded her head. As far as she was concerned, Kristin loved her. "Your mom seems so…" she stopped, trying to find the right word to describe Mrs. Taylor.

"She hasn't been well since my Dad died. She misses him."

Sam nodded her head, and gulped the rest of her lemonade. "So. You gonna show me around the city?"

Mac nodded his head. "We'll get up early and go tomorrow. It's too late for it now."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Speaking of plans," Mac started. "I was thinking about what you said. With Timmy wanting his own place and all…" Mac stopped speaking, and blushed a bit.

Sam nodded her head. "You want me to move in," she finished for him. She bit her bottom lip, and played with the corner of the table after she saw Mac nod his head. "I don't know. There's a lot to talk about before that."

"Like?"

"All those small annoying flaws both of us have that we haven't discovered yet?" she started. "Within the first week of moving in together, we're gonna wanna kill each other."

Mac nodded his head. "We practically live together now, and I don't want to kill you."

"That's not true. There are times when I do something stupid and you bite your tongue. Don't deny it."

"Sometimes," Mac nodded his head. "But those flaws make you who you are. And I love you."

"What about Tiggins? You hate that he sheds. His hair would be all over your suits."

"Why are you throwing all the bad things out there? Do you not like this idea?"

"I do," Sam shook her head. "But we need to work those small annoying things out first. It's the small things that work up to the big things."

Mac nodded his head in agreement, and bit the inside of his cheek. He had just took nother huge step in their relationship, and she was shooting him down.

"I do want to," Sam assured him, noticing the hurt look on his face. "I just think there are some things to decide."

"I know," Mac agreed. "And you know I can figure those things out, right? You know those small details are my thing."

"The small details to events are," she agreed. "Like deciding whose furniture to use, and what neighbor hood is best, and what car is the most efficient one for us. But the small things to small, like putting the toilet paper roll facing down, not up, and picking out a paint color for the living room we both will be able to live with. And I can't do that. Not all at once."

"Does it really matter which way the toilet paper faces?" Mac chuckled, raising his eyebrows.

"God, yes," Sam let out a sigh. "Every time we stay at your house I'm flipping the roll over. Don't you ever notice?"

"I didn't," he laughed. "I never even realized I put it facing up."

"You do," Sam said. "And I wanna kick you every time."

"So from now on, I'll put it down. Okay? We both have our pet peeves, and we'll try and avoid them. That's how relationships work. With communication."

"Yeah," Sam said. "So let's just talk before we do anything serious."

Mac nodded his head, and stood up to clear the table. "I wash, you dry?" he asked her.

"Yup," Sam smiled, standing up as well. She grabbed her glass and plate, and headed for the sink behind Mac, who handed her a dishtowel.

* * *

Sam sat besides Mrs. Taylor as she folded her clothes. "Need help?" Sam asked, reaching for a baby blue blouse decorated with pale yellow flowers. She folded the shirt in half, and set it on top of the pile Mrs. Taylor had made.

"I have two perfectly well hands," Addison Taylor said, her hands shaking as she folded another shirt.

"You hate me because you think I'm taking Claire's place in his heart," Sam said, folding anther shirt. "I'm not taking anyone's place. He still loves her. He still loves your daughters. He still loves Mr. Taylor. He still loves you, Mrs. Taylor. But for some reason he met me, and he's making a spot for me too. And I know it's hard for you to understand."

"When McCanna died, I didn't date," she agreed. "Because he was my love. And Claire was Mac's. His eyes sparkled, he was always smiling. And then she died. And he was never the same. He still isn't. It bothers me that you can make him smile."

Sam nodded her head, and bit her bottom lip. "You can make him smile too," she told her. "He was really excited to come here. He wanted me to meet you. He said I'd love you."

"He hasn't been excited for anything since he married Claire."

* * *

Mac sat on the back porch of his mother's home, a bottle of beer in his hand, his feet stretched out, and Samantha sitting quietly beside him. The home had changed since he'd last been there, 8 years ago. His mother had aged significantly. Her once brown hair was now snow white. Her face had more wrinkles, her hands shook more, and she was lonely. It broke his heart to see his mother so shaken up over his father's death over 16 years ago. But even 16 years later, he could still remember his father's funeral.

Claire had still been alive. They had come home to Illinois to help arrange the funeral. After the viewing, McCanna Taylor's body had been cremated, and Mrs. Taylor had food and drinks for the people who attended the viewing. Claire had sat supportively next to a mute Mac, and said thanks when people approached him to give their condolences. Her hand was always touching him, to let him know she was there for him. She had given sad smiles to those who shared stories of McCanna, and spoke so Mac didn't have to. She had filled bowls of chips, and poured orange juice for the elder couples.

Mac had been the more rational one in their relationship. He was the one supporting Claire, assuring her everything would be alright. So he'd been surprised when Claire has stepped up, and arranged the funeral for Mrs. Taylor.

Mac turned and smiled at Sam, "She misses my dad," he whispered.

Samantha nodded her head, and set her hand on his lap. "You miss him too," she said sympathetically.

"Yeah."

"I bet he was a good man."

"He was," Mac assured her, "He'd have liked you."

Sam nodded her head, and glanced up at the sky. "Stars," she said.

Mac nodded his head, but didn't look at her. "Don't see them in New York," he agreed. He took a swig of his beer, and continued to look at the sky. "Two months before Claire died we sat on this porch," he told Samantha, finally looking at her. "For the Fourth of July. She sat right her on the porch her head between my knees, and just the two of us waited for fireworks. And right before they started, she saw a shooting star." He took another swig of his beer and glanced at his childhood back yard. "And she squeezed her eyes shut, pulled her knees to her chest, and you know what she wished for?"

"What?" Sam asked, looking at Mac.

"I don't know," he shook his head. "I'm never gonna know."

Sam nodded her head, and rested her hand on Mac's thigh. "She's alright. Wherever she is, she's alright."

"I hope so," Mac nodded his head.

* * *

Sam gave Mac's mother a kiss on the cheek as Mac headed out the door to set their bags in Kristin's car. "Bye Mrs. Taylor," Sam smiled, hugging Mac's mother. "I had a great weekend. I love your chicken. Thank you for the recipe. Now I know it's Mac's favorite I'll have to cook it more often."

"By sweetie," Mrs. Taylor smiled. "Take care of him. You fixed him, you can't break him. He used to be tough enough for it, but he's too fragile for that now, Samantha. So you take care of him."

Sam gave Mrs. Taylor a smile and a nod. "I will," Sam told the older woman, before following Kristin out of the door.

"You were a big hit," Kristin smiled. "She doesn't like meeting new people."

"That's good," Sam smiled, as Mac opened the front door of the car for her. "I'm really glad."

"So you have my number. Call me, and we can get together over the summer if you'd like," Kristin started, hugging Sam. "Kathryn has a time share in Disney too, or we could do a day at the beach."

"That sounds great," Sam nodded her head. "I'll be looking forward to it. My dad lives in North Jersey about a block away from the beach too. We could always stay the night there or something."

"Can't wait," Kristin smiled, hopping into the driver's side of her car to take Mac and Sam to the airport.

* * *

JFK was packed, as usual. But Mac managed to maneuver he and Sam through the crowd, and into the parking garage with ease. He opened the passenger door for Sam, and watched her climb in, fasten her seat belt and rest her head against the back of the seat. She was beat. And she was relieved to be home, after a safe flight.

Mac threw their suitcase in the back of the truck, and then climbed into the driver's side himself. He glanced at Sam, who was already situated in the car. It'd been a long three day weekend, he concluded. "What do you want for dinner?" Mac asked, pulling out of the parking garage. "We can stop and get something."

Sam shook her head. "I was planning on cooking Mac and Cheese for Leo. It's his favorite," she informed Mac, turning to give him a smile. "And then I'm going to take a nice nap."

Mac let out a chuckle. "I bet he missed you. Timmy can't cook if his life depended on it."

"They probably ordered fast food every night," Sam laughed. Mac reached over and set his hand on her thigh as he pulled into the city traffic, a refreshing smile on his face. "I was thinking," Sam started, turning her head towards Mac.

"About?" Mac asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, but never taking his eyes off the road.

"There's an apartment complex..." She started. "Just about about three blocks from the lab. They're two and three bedroom places. There's an indoor pool too, and roof access. And a little community garden also."

Mac gave Sam a smile. Though he'd just asked her a few days ago, and she hadn't given him a direct answer, she had been searching for a home for a while. And she had been searching for one in close proximity to his work place. She'd been thinking on the idea of living together, and it looked like she had made the perfect decision. "Oh yeah?" Mac asked, playing along. "Is that where you're gonna move after Timmy takes over your place?"

"Well," Sam blushed. "I was thinking _we_ could move there. Together." The emphasize on the word "we" made Mac's heart jump a beat. They were planning things for the both of them. They weren't just Mac and Sam. They were a team.

* * *

Thanks to my lovely reviewers, to whom I owe a shoutout, and a great big thanks!

**EastAngels2009**

**iheartcsinewyork**

**hope4sall**

**BlueEyedAuthor**


	11. Meet the Parkers

**A/N: **Here's Sam's family :) hope ya'll like! Alright, so I'm trying to catch up with the seasons. Let's pretend Danny has known about Linds' pregnancy..and it's been a few months since he's known.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mac.

**Ships:** Mac/Sam

* * *

Sam squeezed Mac's arm, and impatiently bounced on the balls of her feet. She hadn't seen her brother in close to a year, and he was going to be in town any minute now. She couldn't wait to see him again, and the suspense was killing her. Mac tugged at her black t-shirt, causing her to look up at him in curiosity. He looked down at her with a smile, and then wrapped their hands together. "You know, you jumping up and down isn't going to make them arrive any sooner?" he asked her, leaning down to kiss the top of her forehead.

Sam blushed a little, and turned back towards the street. "There's so many damned cabs," she started. "Maybe we should have just picked them up."

Mac let out a chuckle. "You're cute when you worry." Sam lightly punched him in the arm, and leaned forward to look past the parked cars on the curb. "Is there a reason we're outside waiting? I mean your brother knows his way around the city. You can buzz him in."

She rolled her eyes, but held onto Mac's arm as she leaned forward a bit farther. "I guess you have a point," she nodded her head, and then turned around. "I'm just really excited. And they're gonna need help with their bags. And you're big and strong."

"Bags?" Mac asked. "How long are they staying?"

"We're going straight from here to my Dad's. Remember?"

"Right," Mac nodded his head. It'd been three months since he had asked Sam to move in with him. Last month they had finally moved into a homey 3 bedroom 1 and a half bath apartment just four short blocks from Mac's work. It would been expensive, Mac had told Sam. But Sam had used her bonus, along with the rent money she'd saved for the past three months, since she wasn't paying, and Mac put in two months of his paycheck. They'd bought the apartment out, instead of leasing it. Last night, they had finally moved all of their belongings into the home, and shared their first night in it together. And already, they were having people stay with them. He knew it was only for a few days, but he wanted to spend the first few days with Samantha. Alone.

"That's them!" Sam shrieked, pulling Mac from his thoughts as a yellow cab came to a stop in front of them. Sam jumped up, and gave Mac a smile as the back door opened.

"Sammie!" Scott Parker smiled, stepping out of the car.

"Scotty," Sam replied, kissing Scott's cheek, as Mac headed for the trunk to get their belongings.

"Your hair got so long!" Scott said, tugging at Sam's pony-tail. "And you got skinny!" He turned to look a Mac. "You're feeding her right?"

"So I was fat?" Sam asked. "Thanks Scott. Love you too."

"I didn't mean you were fat. I meant you look like you lost some weight."

"And you gained it," Sam said, grabbing Scott's stomach fat.

"Thanks," Scott laughed. Mac came back onto the curb, and set two suitcases on the ground.

"I'm Mac Taylor," he said, holding his hand out to shake Scott's. Scott returned the favor, and both smiled at each other.

"Scott. And this is my boyfriend, Todd." Scott wrapped an arm around Todd, a tall blond, with bright blue eyes, and large arms. Mac eyed both men. Both blond, both tall, and both athletic. Timmy and Sam had both been short and brunette, but Tim had icy blue eyes, and Sam's were hazel. So far, none of the Parkers seemed to look alike. But they all had the same bubbly attitude.

"So. Where's Danny? Is he gonna stop by at all?" Scott asked, turning back to Sam.

Sam shrugged her shoulders, "I guess. If he's not too busy. He's got a wife now, who's pregnant."

"Good for him. Bout time he settled down." Mac picked up one suitcase, and Scott picked up the other, and the four of them headed towards Mac and Sam's new home.

* * *

The walls were still white, they hadn't had time to sit down and pick colors, and the carpets were still crème. But it was as homey as Sam could make it for now. Mac didn't have many pictures, but Sam had filled the house with as much of Leo and Timmy as she could, and she had scheduled to get pictures done professionally for she and Mac. Mac's furniture had been moved into the house, because Timmy had asked if he could keep Sam's. She had agreed, except for the bedroom set. So her bedroom set was in their Master bedroom, and Mac's was in the guest room. His black leather couch, and his 22 inch TV sat in the living room, and for now, the third bedroom was used as storage. "For now," Sam said to Scott, as she poured iced tea for everyone but Mac, who was taking a shower to get ready for work. Sam had wanted desperately to join Mac, but she had to cook breakfast for her brother, because he was incapable of going to McDonalds and ordering hash browns.

"Until?" Scott asked, digging into the waffles Samantha had made.

"Until we find a decent desk and what not. It's going to be an office for Mac and I."

"Both of you?" Scott asked.

"Well yeah. We were going to get two small desks. I need one for work, and it would be nice if he had a computer so he wouldn't have to stay at the lab so much."

"But he'd be working just as much. You still wouldn't see him."

"Yeah I would. He'd be in the same place as me." Sam let out a sigh internally. She remembered why she hadn't talked to her brother in well over a year. He was a pessimistic, and she was an optimistic. Nothing could bring Sam's cheery mood down, save for her big brother's negative comments.

Mac came out of their bedroom, a smile on his face, freshly showered in black suit pants, a dark blue dress shirt, and despite the fact everyone knew as soon as he walked into the lab, he'd take it off, a light blue tie was wrapped around his neck. "Hey," he smiled, entering the kitchen. He kissed Sam's forehead and then turned towards the cabinet to find a glass.

"Right," Sam said, knowing Mac was going to the left. Mac nodded his head, and opened the cabinet to his right. He grabbed a glass and then opened the fridge for the iced tea pitcher. When he finished pouring his glass, he sat down at the table, and reached for the newspaper Sam had offered to get him a few hours earlier.

"Anything good?" he asked to no one in particular.

Sam shook her head. "Just a bunch of lies. What's new?" she asked.

Mac let out a snort but gave her a smile. "Amazing. I hate journalists, and you hate cops. How'd we make it this far?"

Sam gave him a smile, knowing he was kidding, and sat across from him, and next to both Scott and Todd. "You hungry?" she asked.

Mac shook his head. "Fridays I get donuts for the lab." Mac glanced at his watch. "I should probably leave soon if I'm going to stop at the bakery." He stood up, and headed for the living room where his suit jacket and wallet were. Sam followed, and gave him a kiss before he left.

"Be careful. I love you," she told him, like she always did when he left.

"Samantha," Scott scolded his little sister when Mac shut the door behind him. "Do you realize that every time he walks out the door it could be his last?"

"Which is why I tell him I love him every time he leaves, Scotty," Sam sighed, heading towards the kitchen. "There's nothing you can say that will make me break up with him."

"No," Scott said. "I just…I'm looking out for you."

"Thanks," Sam said. "But I don't need you to do that. That's Danny's job. And Danny likes him."

"How long have you been dating again?"

"A year in November," Sam said rolling her eyes. "Scotty I've answered all these stupid questions before. Are we done yet?"

Scott turned towards Todd, who hadn't said a word all morning and gave him a smile. "She's getting defensive. I think we've hit a soft spot. What do you think, hun?"

Todd shrugged his shoulders, a smile on his face. "I think you shouldn't get into your sister's business."

"I like him," Sam said, heading down the hall to shower. "Don't wreck anything while I'm gone!" she called over her shoulder.

_XXXXXXX_

"Fish?" Mac asked, raising his eyebrows as Sam sprayed the inside of a 25-gallon fish tank. "Fish?"

"Fish," she nodded her head. "This little tank here…" She stopped and turned to give Mac a smile. "Well it's not so little. But it's going right there where that ugly half wall is." She pointed towards the half wall that separated a pat of the kitchen from the living room. If the landlord wasn't going to let them knock down the wall, and he also wouldn't let Tiggins move in with them, she was going to make the best of her situation. Starting with a 25-gallon fish tank. "Can you lift it for me, honey?" she asked Mac, drying the outside.

Mac picked up the fish tank, and set it on the half wall, and stepped back to look at the wall. It had fit perfectly. "So. Where did you get this?"

"Pet Smart. They have great fish stuff there. The guy even helped me get started. I told him what kind of fish I'd like, and he helped me pick out some live plants and stuff. Look," Sam headed for the kitchen table where a plastic bag sat. She pulled a giant boat from the back and gave Mac a smile. "They can hide in here when they get scared."

Mac gave her a smile. He was pissed she had just spent a fortune on fish without consulting him. This was their home, and they needed to start combining their money and making a proper budget. Though fish didn't seem like it, they were a fortune to care for. But he couldn't help but smile as Sam smiled brightly, and began to transfer water into the tank, excited to own fish.

"Shouldn't we have started out with something small? You know? Like a single goldfish? Isn't this pretty advanced stuff? What if we kill them all?"

Sam rolled her eyes, and handed Mac a pitcher. "I used to have fish when I was a kid. It's hard if you don't know what you're doing. But I know what I'm doing."

"Shouldn't we wait until we get back though? Who's gonna feed them while we're gone?"

"We're letting the water sit while we're gone. And when we get back we'll get some fish. The first two weeks we'll add cichlids, and once they've been adapted we'll add another breed." Sam headed towards the sink to refill her pitcher, and continued to fill the tank.

"Isn't there a quicker way?" Mac asked.

"There is," Sam said. "But we don't have large buckets quite yet."

"Another reason to wait," Mac added, but followed Sam's lead.

"I needed something to do," Sam told him. "Scott is so annoying sometimes. And then I wound up in Pet Smart. And this whole not having Tiggins thing is really not cool. So I was thinking fish! But you know I can't just do something simply. I have to go all out. This is me going all out. I'll clean the tank, I'll feed them, and I'll name them. You just have to empty the water for me because I'm not strong enough."

"Name them?" Mac laughed. "Sammie you are crazy."

"It's scientifically proven fish lower stress," Sam said, ignoring Mac's comment. She was determined for him to see things her way, at least this one time. "You are a stressor waiting to blow. This is good. You can even talk to them, and they won't tell your secrets."

"Next time. Call me. This was a lot of money you just spent. We have to make financial decisions together. And spending three hundred bucks on fish stuff?"

"Sorry," Sam blushed, turning around to give him a smile. "Next time we'll talk. I should have called you, you're right."

"I'm right?" Mac chuckled. "How do those words taste coming out of your mouth?"

"Ha-ha," Sam said, rolling her eyes.

"Where are Scott and Todd anyway?" Mac asked, walking towards the sink. He was positive this would take hours to fill.

"Dinner with Timmy and Leo," Sam said. "Todd is really cool. Scotty though," Sam rolled her eyes. "I can only take him in doses."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"We're gonna be with them all weekend," Sam shrugged. "I just wanted a few hours to ourselves." She wrapped her arms around Mac from behind, and kissed the side of his chin, causing Mac to smile.

"Can we fill this tank up later?" He asked, turning around to face Samantha. He brushed back her brown hair from her face, and kissed her.

* * *

Mac pulled to a stop in front of the beach house. The gray shutters were freshly painted, and the garden out front was taken care of. Samantha's dad was taking care of the place, he decided, as he stepped out of his truck, and opened the back door to help Leo out of his car. "Here?" he asked, waking up from his nap, and rubbing his eyes. "We gonna see Grandpa?"

Mac nodded his head. "Yep." He wasn't gonna lie. He was nervous about meeting Sam's father. From what Sam had told him, he'd never gotten over her mother leaving him. And he'd been bitter since. Sam was his only daughter. And the fact she was dating someone significantly older, and close to his own age, wasn't a pro in the situation. Mac, however, was confident that war stories from both their Marine days, might give him brownie points.

"Sammie!" a male voice shouted from the porch.

"Daddy," Sam replied, walking up the sidewalk to hug her father. "Look at you!" she said, kissing his cheek. Stanley Parker had put on weight since Sam had moved away with Timmy, and she was relieved. He was doing all right by himself.

"Oh, baby," Mr. Parker smiled, kissing the top of Sam's head. "Yah look so beautiful. The last time yah had your hair this long you were…"

"6?" Scotty asked, jumping up the steps, past his father, smacking Sam's head on the way.

"Daddy, this is Mac," Sam said, as Mac headed towards them, Leo walking beside him in his dinosaur footy pajamas.

"Nice to meet you sir," Mac smiled, shaking Sam's dad's hand.

"It's Stan," he corrected the younger man. "And Leo! You've gotten so big, bud. How old are yah now? 15?"

"3!" Leo giggled. "Grandpa, you're silly."

"I think you're silly," Stan said, picking up his grandson. He gave him a kiss causing Leo to giggle, and then turned back to Mac. "So you're the man that everyone's gettin' together to meet."

Mac nodded his head. "I guess I am."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Dad."

"Sammie," Stan smiled, kissing his daughter.

"You're making im feel like he's important," she sighed, giving Mac a wink.

"Get outta here!" Stan said, rubbing Sam's head. "Go for a walk or somethin' you two." He turned to Mac and gave him another smile.

"You sure?" Sam asked. "I can start dinner. Is Tommy coming?"

"Samantha. You've been cookin' dinner since you were 15. I'm perfectly capable of orderin' some pizza."

"Pizza?" Sam laughed. "You actually like Jersey's pizza?"

"Ay!" Stan said "Get outta here and relax. I got this one…" Stan scratched his head and then turned toward the house. "I hope."

"Call me," Sam said, as she watched her father head into the house.

"Well," Mac smiled, letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "He seems nice."

"He's scatter brained," she giggled, heading down the sidewalk, Mac walking alongside her.

* * *

Stan Parker stood in the kitchen, looking out the window, a smile on his face. The man that was kissing his daughter was older, something that didn't sit with him well. But Samantha was happy. It'd been the first time she'd seen a smile like the one she'd been sporting since she'd lost her baby years ago. Smiles didn't matter to Stan though. The biggest dick in the world had made Sam smile once, and Stan hadn't liked him one it. Mac was a catch compared to Louie.

Sam had taken care of the Parkers since she was a teenager, and it relieved him to see that Mac was taking care of her. He'd watched Mac brush back her bangs from her face before they could fall into her food, and grab the glass on the top shelf she couldn't reach. And he overheard conversations, where Mac promised to paint the hallway so she wouldn't have to, he assured her there was enough pictures hanging in the living room, and the tan comforter they had now looked fine with the black nightstands. Mac, Stan realized, did all the things he had never done for his daughter as a child. He brought peace to Sam's chaotic brain, and he made her feel safe. Two things Stan had failed to do the past 34 years.

"Stop!" Sam pleaded through a fit of laughs, causing Stan to return from his thoughts. Mac and Leo were tickling Sam as she lie in the grass, unable to breathe. "Mac!" she pleaded again, as Mac kissed her as he tickled her. Stan let out a chuckle, but decided to help his daughter out. He headed towards the glass door that led towards the back yard, and whistled at the three. Mac climbed off Sam and looked up at Stan, scared he had just crossed a line.

"Thank you!" Sam laughed, standing up and running in the house to get away from Mac, who wasn't sure if he should chase after Sam to continue the game, or apologize to Sam.

"You," Stand said, pointing to Leo. "Go play with Aunt Sam." Leo scurried into the house, a smile on his face, still wearing the dinosaur footies he had refused to take off, and Stan pointed towards Mac. "You and I need to talk."

Mac nodded his head, and headed into the house. He sat quietly at the kitchen table. Stan sat across from him, a stern look on his face. "You ever been married before?"

"I have been," Mac nodded his head. "She passed away."

"How long ago?"

"9 years."

Stan nodded his head, and looked at Mac in the eye. "Sammie never told you," Stan said, cracking his knuckles. "There were a couple times my fists connected with a few of her boyfriends."

Mac tried not to laugh, but nodded his head in respect of Stanley Parker. "I assure you that I'm not gonna hurt Sam."

"Oh yeah? And how's that?"

"I love Samantha. She's been patient with me when I needed her to, and I've been making her feel safe. I'm not going to stop doing that, we're together now, and we will be down the road."

"So what would have happened if your wife, hadn't of died? You wouldn't be here. You just gonna walk away if somethin' happens with my baby?"

"With all due respect, my wife has nothing to do with Samantha. I don't play what ifs. The truth of the matter is, I'm here right now. And I'm not going to sit here and give you answers to scenarios of Sam's death that you've thought up. Because that's ridiculous, and I'm not going to fill my head with the thought of her not being around."

Stan nodded his head. He knew Mac was pissed for thinking negatively. Mac knew that he was right, and instead of getting angry and throwing himself in Stan's face, he had told him sternly and respectfully how it was.

"Hey," Sam said, coming down the steps, Leo on her hip. He was now wearing a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt, a smile on his face, and a black hat sitting on his head. "The boys wanna go to that bar on the boardwalk. Tommy is gonna meet us up there. Is that cool?"

Stan nodded his head. "Is Leo allowed in?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded her head. "We'll grab dinner there, we just won't go back towards the pool tables."

"We'll head back after dinner. Leo and I. If you'd like, you guys can go to the bar. I'll stay with Leo."

"You sure?" Sam asked.

"Of course I'm sure."

"Dad. Do you even know how to change a diaper?"

"He's three, how hard can it be?"

"He still poops in his pull-ups," Sam said, looking at her father, a blank stare on her face.

"I took care of you when you were a baby," Stan replied.

"That was when diapers weren't complicated," Sam said, setting Leo on the ground.

"We fine, Sam," Leo said, shaking his head. "I no poop till you come back, okay? I hold it all in."

"Oh yeah?" Sam asked. "Why don't you sit on the toilet if you can hold it then?"

"No, no, no," Leo shook his head. "Potty too big boy for Leo. I like diaper." Leo said, shaking his head, and moving his finger as he looked at Sam.

"We ready?" Scot asked, coming down the steps, Todd and Timmy following him.

"Yeah," Mac said, standing up. He swooped Leo up from the floor and swung him on his back, causing Leo to giggle.

"'Gan, Mac!" Leo pleaded.

"Later," Mac promised. "Let's go get some dinner first."

"Tay!" Leo replied, satisfied with the answer he'd gotten.

"Let's go!" Scott said, already on the front porch, heading down the steps.

* * *

Sam pressed a kiss to Mac's cheek, and wrapped her arm around his waist. He responded by wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Tommy, Scott, and Todd were sitting at the high top table, while Mac was playing Timmy in a game of pool, Samantha cheering him along, a smile on her face.

Tommy didn't like seeing his baby sister with men. He hated every single guy that had ever walked into her life, including Danny and Louie. Louie had been his friend, until he started dating Sam. And when they hung out while in the Tanglewood clan, Tom had made it clear. Danny hadn't been as bad as Louie, but Tommy still didn't like her hanging around guys. Because guys like Louie liked to have sex with vulnerable girls like Sam.

"He's not bad," Tommy admitted, watching the couple. They'd been loving towards each other since they sat down to eat. Mac had even cut up Leo's chicken fingers for him when he complained they were too hot. He'd allowed Sam to steal fries from his plate, and they split a piece of chocolate cake. He had whispered things in her ear, causing her to blush, and he head kissed her. It hadn't mattered that her family was there. He loved her, and that's what mattered.

"No," Sam said, coming back for her beer. "He's not. And you need to die down on the stink eye."

"What stink eye!" Tommy asked, holding his hands up in confusion. Sam and Tommy looked the most alike out of the two. Both with hazel eyes, dark hair, and a crooked smile, they both took after their mother.

"You've been glaring at Mac all night," she told him, sitting down next to Todd. "Tell me you weren't, and that's a lie."

"Okay so I was," Tommy nodded his head. "But I'm just trying to figure if this guy is good for yah or not."

If Scott had said this to Sam she would have freaked. In fact, he had said this, and she had told him to mind his own business. But with Tommy saying it, she couldn't muster up the words to tell him that she was happy with Mac. Tom was a hard man to convince. When his mind was set, it was set. And Sam knew she was screwed if he disliked Mac.

"He's nice," she said, taking a swig from her bottle.

"He seems it," Tommy agreed, eyeing Mac from across the bar as he took a shot. He closed on eye, and lowered his torso to get a better look at the ball. His right hand was at the top of the pool stick, his left getting ready to hit the ball. "But people can appear to be something they aren't, Sam."

"So he's pretending? You make no sense, Tommy. Mac's a great guy."

"He appears to be," Tommy said. "Doesn't mean I'm completely convinced. Just because he's head of the NYPD doesn't mean he's good. Usually those guys are slime balls."

"He runs the crime lab," Sam rolled her eyes.

"So? That's politics, Sammie. Guys high up are dirty most the time."

"Mac isn't dirty. I'm sure you know that already. You've probably googled him. Am I right?"

"Yeah," Tommy said, letting out a chuckle. "Alright I did."

"Exactly," she said, smiling when Mac turned around and gave her a wink. "So, does he have the green light, or what?"

Tommy nodded his head and hugged his sister. "If he hurts you-"

"You'll kill him. Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sam finished for her brother, as she rolled her eyes.

* * *

The weekend was over, and they were home, ready to start their first days of living together. Sam had already crawled out of her jeans, and into a pair of sweats, and she was already in the bathroom, brushing her teeth while Mac finished take a shower. She smiled as she glanced in the mirror behind her and watched through the glass door, her boyfriend washing his hair. This was something she was excited to get used to.

"Your phone's ringing," Sam said, shaking her head, a blush coming to her face at the dirty thoughts that were flooding her mind.

"Grab it?" Mac called, poking his head from the glass door. "If it's work, let it ring."

"Sure," she said, spitting out toothpaste, and leaving the bathroom. She reached over their bed, and on his nightstand where his phone was sitting, a text message popping up on his blackberry. From Peyton. Had it been from Danny, or Flack, or even Stella, she wouldn't have opened it. Had it been anyone but Peyton, she would have let it go. But it was Peyton. He had three missed calls from her, and an unread text message. The phone was calling Samantha's name.

So she opened the text, without hesitation, and her mouth dropped at the words she was reading. _I need to talk to you. I miss you_. And after she had read that, another text from Peyton popped up on the screen. This time: _Call me._ She decided to do what any nervous woman would. She looked for old texts from a jealous ex-girlfriend. Ten read text messages, all dated from this weekend were look Sam right in the face. She had a right to be pissed. It hadn't mattered she went through his phone at this point. Because he had no right to lie to her about what was happening with Peyton.

She heard the shower water turn off, and she stood up from the bed, and headed back to the bathroom, the cell phone in hand. Mac gave her a smile, as he stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist, and drops of water dripping from the lines on his face. One on his ear, one on the corner of his chin. "Who was it?" he asked.

"Peyton," Sam replied in a bitter tone. "She needs to talk to you. She misses you…" Sam looked down at the phone and nodded her head, trying to hold her anger in. "Oh yeah. She wants to see your smile again. Don't forget about those handsome endless pools of beauty you call eyes."

Mac let out a sigh. "I ignored all of them," he told her, but Sam wasn't going to take his explanations. She'd already formed her opinion.

"You didn't tell me," she said. "You lied about her trying to talk to you."

"It wasn't a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Your ex flies all the way from England to win you back, and she leaves you voicemails and text messages. That's not a big deal to you?"

"I didn't return any of them."

"No, but you knew I'd find out if you did. You know, the whole merging our numbers onto one contract thing? The part where I pay our bills? You were gonna wait until you went back to work so I wouldn't find out. Am I wrong?"

"Wait. You go through my phone and you're mad at me?"

"I didn't go through your phone!" Sam shouted. "You asked me to answer it. I didn't reach it in time, and there was 3 missed calls from your ex girlfriend. A text message-" Sam stopped mid sentence and shook her head, "I don't need to explain myself to you. You are the one lying. Not me. Obviously there was a good enough reason to keep me out of the dark about this."

"Sam."

"Don't," Sam said, throwing Mac's phone at him. She turned on her heel, and headed out of the bathroom, and through their master bedroom to leave the apartment. She didn't want anything to do with Mac at the moment. She had been cool with the fact Peyton had come to work with him. She'd been understanding of the situation, and patient with Mac when he admitted it hurt to see Payton's face at work. But he'd just drawn a line. He had lied to her

* * *

Thanks to the reviewers!!!

**_hope4sall_**

**_Miss Crys_**

**_iheartcsinewyork_**

**_BlueEyedAuthor_**


	12. Never Leave Without a Kiss

_**Disclaimer:** No paso Nada. Non possiedo niente. (That's I own nothing in Spanish, and Italian). _

**Ships:** _Mac/Sam_ a lil' bit of some_ D n' L_

_

* * *

_

Under any other circumstance, he would have followed her. But he was naked, and he was wet. And she was probably already a block away by now. Plus, he had work in an hour. He knew she'd come back as soon as she was sure he had left. She would be here when he came back and she would be ready to talk. That was just how she worked. She left before unwanted and cruel words could be thrown at each other, she vented, she thought, and then she spoke. She didn't yell or throw things. That wasn't her style. So he got ready for work, like it was any other day. He would worry about this later.

* * *

Sam let out a sigh, and closed the apartment door behind her. She let out a groan when she saw the light on the answering machine blinking. She knew it would be her Dad, to talk about the weekend, and she wasn't in the mood to talk. She wanted to go to bed. She wanted to change the locks on her apartment, and she wanted to throw all of Mac's things in the hallway. But that was irrational, she decided. And she knew he'd explain everything calmly, now that she had a clear head. Maybe it had been nothing. Maybe Mac was telling the truth when he said it wasn't a big deal.

She dropped her keys on the coffee table in the living room, as she headed towards the kitchen, and to the counter where their home phone sat. She'd been reluctant on getting one. There wasn't really a point. Technology these days made it possible to have just cell phones. And it probably would have been cheaper. But they had agreed to get one because it had meant they were a team now. Their response on the answering machine was corny, but sweet. Sam had started with_, "Hey this is Sam."_ And Mac had sad. _"And Mac."_ Sam had let out a giggle and said, _"We're not available."_ And Mac had cut her off _with "Hopefully we're home I'm just getting some action." "Mac!"_ Sam had laughed. _"Leave a message with your name and number and we'll call later,"_ Mac had laughed.

Two new messages blinked before her. She pressed play and smirked when she heard her father's voice. "_Sammie! It's your Daddy. Call me back." Delete_.

_"Sam, it's Mac. Listen, I know you're mad but I need you to call me when you get in. It's important." _Sam rolled her eyes and let out a snort. _Delete_.

* * *

The lights were out when he came home. That was a bad sign. Especially since it was only 9. He quietly made himself through the apartment, and into their bedroom, where she was lying, feet against the headboard, her head towards the foot of the bed, the TV on, and the comforter comfortably keeping her warm. She had fallen asleep while watching a movie, something she'd grown famous for since they'd been together. He let out a sigh, but turned the TV off, and sat at the edge of the bed to take his shoes off. That's when she stirred in her sleep, and opened her eyes.

"What time is it?" she asked, letting out a yawn, and rolling onto her back.

"9," he told her, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Dinner's in the microwave," she mumbled, sitting up. She grabbed her pillow and threw it in the direction her feet had just been, and then set her head on it.

"You okay?" Mac asked, taking his shirt off. He laid beside her, and ran his hand along her stomach. She moved away from his hand, and turned to her other side so she wasn't facing him.

"I'm not," Sam informed him.

"I apologized," he whispered.

"I don't care," she replied coldly, scooting another inch towards the edge of the bed. Mac let out another sigh. This time, because he thought Sam would have been okay by now. On more than one occasion Sam had gotten upset with him, but every time she let it go for a bit, and he came home, she was ready to talk. This time, however, she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Sam." Mac said, lying beside her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, causing her to wiggle out of bed.

"I'm gonna sleep in the guest room," she said, grabbing her pillow.

"This is ridiculous."

"No," Sam chuckled. "It isn't ridiculous. What's ridiculous is that you think it's okay to lie to me."

She raised her voice, causing Mac to let out yet another sigh, of relief. She was getting mad at him; she was talking to him. They were getting somewhere. This was better than the cold shoulder he had been receiving.

"I never thought it was okay to lie to you. I…" Mac stopped, knowing he needed to choose his words carefully. He wasn't quite sure how Sam would react. He'd never seen her mad before. Upset, yes, but mad was a different story. She never raised her voice in front of him before. He had a feeling it wasn't going to end well. "I didn't know how to bring it up."

"How about 'oh by the way my ex-girlfriend just called me!" Sam yelled, throwing the pillow across the room. Mac dodged it, causing it to miss his ear by an inch or so.

"I was going to. But it all happened when we were out with your brothers."

Sam shook her head. "First you lie. And then you make up excuses." She let out a snort and shook her head some more.

"You know what," Mac said, as he headed to where the pillow had landed. He picked it up, and quietly set it back on the bed where Sam would sleep tonight. He picked up his own pillow and then looked sternly at Sam, trying to keep his composure. "I don't really want to sleep with you tonight either. You're acting like a five year old."

"Well you treat me like one," Sam defended herself. "Might as well act like one."

Mac ignored her comment, and headed out of the bedroom, acting as if her words hadn't cut deep. But they had. And he couldn't be sure if his had also, he hoped they hadn't.

* * *

He had been expecting her to crawl out of bed in the middle night to sleep with him in the guest room. But he had been wrong. She really didn't want anything to do with him. She was furious with him, and he wasn't sure how to handle that. Just an hour ago he came home to an empty house, yet another bad sign. And Sam still wasn't home. He heard a knock at the door, causing him to eagerly jump up to answer it. Maybe it was Sam and she had forgotten her key.

"Mac," Stella said as he opened the door to face a woman. Though a woman he cared about, it wasn't the one he wanted at the moment. Stella stepped into the house, while Mac closed the door. "What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing," Mac informed Stella, but he hadn't convinced her very well.

"I just called and you didn't answer. You were out of it at work today."

Mac let out a sigh, highly debating on telling Stella his problems. But he finally gave in when he realized he was 80% sure he couldn't fix this with her help, let alone on his own. Maybe Stella could help out. "I lied to her," he said in his slow, educated way. "And she's pissed at me. I don't know what I should do."

"She'll come around," Stella said. "She isn't one to hold a grudge."

"You didn't see the fight we had," Mac shook his head. "She threw a pillow at me, I called her a child, she told me she might as well act like one because that's how I treat her. And I left the room to sleep in the guest room. I haven't seen her since."

Stella nodded her head, as Sam came into the apartment just in time to hear the tail end of Mac's words. She stopped in her tracks and stared at Mac, her mouth agape. She hadn't just heard him talking to Stella about their problems. She was dreaming this. But she blinked, and when she opened her eyes Stella was still there, and the words were still floating around in her head.

"Nice," Sam said, causing Mac to whirl around.

"Sam," Stella laughed a bit, trying to lighten the mood.

"So you just go around telling people our business?"

"Sam, he was just trying to get some advice," Stella spoke.

Sam shook her head and bit the inside of her lip. She didn't know what to say. She shouldn't have been surprised that Stella would come over if she felt Mac was upset, and that it was less likely he called her to chat.

"Can we talk?" Mac asked, causing Sam to come back from her thoughts. Stella was gone. She must have excused herself while Sam was in her trance. She crossed her arms over her chest, a defense mechanism to keep him away from her. Mac pinched the bridge of his nose, but waited for her to speak.

She didn't. She sat down on the couch, and remained silent. She wanted to make up with him. She had almost burst in tears when she left that morning, without telling him to be careful at work, and she had worried that something bad was going to happen because she hadn't said it. But she was upset with him for lying, and hiding the fact Peyton was trying to meet with him. She didn't like that he had snuck around, and it made her wonder how he really felt about Peyton.

Mac sat down on the couch beside her, but still didn't speak. He wasn't going to make Sam madder than she already was. His phone went off, and he pulled it from it's holster on his belt. He glanced at Sam, and then at the text message from Flack.

"Just go," Sam said, standing up. She could tell he was debating staying to fix things. But she still wasn't ready to explain to him how she felt.

"No," Mac shook his head. "We need to talk."

Sam shook her head and headed through the kitchen, and down the hallway to go to her bedroom. Mac let out a deep breathe, but left their home, still in the doghouse.

* * *

White walls, the smell of peroxide, blue scrubs. He wasn't hurt that bad. They were making a big deal out of nothing. It was just a graze. He only needed a few stitches. Where was Sam? Why had they put all of these tubes in his arms? He was fine. A few Advil, and he'd be fine. And that stupid white gown. It was very uncomfortable. How did they manage to get him here in the first place?

"Hey," a voice whispered, entering his room. It was Sam. Her eyes were red and puffy. She'd been crying. He watched as she quietly sat beside him, in a white chair. She didn't reach for his hand. She didn't touch him. She sat, unable to look at him. She knew if she did she would burst into tears once more.

"I'm fine," Mac promised her. "Just a bullet in the arm. I'll be fine."

"No," Sam said sternly. "Try a bullet in your shoulder two inches from your heart. I just sat in a waiting room for three hours, dwelling on what the nurse told me when I first arrived. 'Detective Taylor is in critical condition. They are trying to remove the bullet successfully without puncturing his heart."

"It's that bad?" Mac asked, realizing then that he had a sharp throbbing pain all over his body. And his breathing was short. It was bad, all right. But he would get better. He was alive. He could feel the pain. He was here. This wasn't a dream.

"Yeah," Sam whispered, looking down, at her hands sitting in her lap. Mac took his hand and reached for Sam's. She set her hand in his for him, and sniffled a bit.

Mac closed his eyes, and tried to remember what had caused him to be here. He'd responded to Flack's page. He had been informed the scene was cleared. But when Flack left to go outside for a moment, Ma had been facing down the barrel of the killer's gun. He hadn't had time to react, let alone realize he had just been shot.

"Can I leave?"

Sam shook her head. "They want to watch you overnight to make sure the anesthesia wares off. The doctor says you'll be out of work for a few weeks."

"A few?" Mac asked, sitting up.

"Sit down," Sam said rolling her eyes. "You're gonna make it longer if you pull your stitches."

"I can't be out of work that long," Mac shook his head. "Who is gonna run the lab? I do everything! It's going to go in flames without me."

"Stella and Hawkes will be fine without you for a month, Mac," Sam rolled her eyes a bit agitated. "Have a little faith. Who knows, maybe they'll run it so well, you'll get a promotion," she kidded.

Mac shook his head. He'd been offered promotions before, but he never took them. The lab was his life. "I'm…I'm sorry," Mac whispered to Sam, who just nodded her head. "I won't lie to you again, okay?" he asked her, causing her to nod her head again.

"I'd still be pissed at you had you not got hurt," she informed him.

"You had every right to be mad," Mac agreed. "But I never did this to hurt you. I wanted to do the opposite."

"I know," Sam nodded her head. She had three hours to think of how stupid she'd been. Three hours of worrying if Mac would be alright caused her to realize that he wasn't trying to sneak around. He was trying to figure things out on his own, without making her think he still wanted Peyton. "We have a lot we need to figure out," Sam told him, running her hand through his hair. He motioned her to sit next to him on the bed, which she did. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and rested her head next to his.

"Like?" Mac asked, stroking Sam's hand with his thumb.

"First off," she said, letting out a sigh. "You're never allowed to leave the house again without saying goodbye and giving me a kiss. Even if we're furious with each other."

"Deal," Mac nodded his head, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Though his opposite shoulder was throbbing, and he had a terrible headache, he was relieved. He and Sam would be all right, that's what mattered to him at the moment. "I love you."

Sam nodded her head and closed her eyes. "I love you," she smiled.

* * *

Sam gave Mac a kiss after she set a cup of soup on his nightstand. She walked onto the other side of the bed, and curled up next to him, sipping from her own cup. "Aren't you glad you don't hate me anymore?" Mac asked, wrapping his good arm around Sam.

"I think you're happier than I am about that," Sam laughed. "You're the one getting special treatment."

"Don't worry," Mac assured Sam, as she flipped through the channels to find a decent Christmas movie. "As soon as my arm is better, I'll give you some special treatment too."

"Mhmm," Sam rolled her eyes, snuggling into his side. "You okay?" she asked once she was comfortable. Mac nodded his head, and kissed Sam's head.

"Perfect," he told her causing her to smile.

"Danny said Lindsay is due any day," Sam informed Mac. "And I talked to Hawkes and Stella today. Adam is running the lab techs as best he can. Stella's got everyone's shifts under control and Hawkes' is signing off on everything. When you get back everything will be back to normal. But they seem they got everything under control. They said if they need help on any cases they'll give you a call, but I think they are smart enough to figure it out without you."

Mac nodded his head. "We're short two CSIs," Mac sighed. "I just want to get back. Especially with Linds being out also."

Sam nodded her head showing Mac that she was listening to him. "You'll be back soon." She leaned up and gave him a kiss. "But until then you're all mine."

Mac gave her a grin, and rolled on top of her. "Mac!" Sam giggled, while Mac kissed her stomach. "Your arm."

"I don't need it," he told her as he struggled to unbutton her jeans with just one thumb. Sam raised an eyebrow at him.

"You sure about that?" she asked, unbuttoning her jeans for him. "I think you need a little help," she told him, pushing him back on the bed. She leaned forward and took his shirt off for him, causing Mac to give her a grin.

"Wow," he said, as Sam took off her shirt as well. "This is the first time I've seen you like this."

"You don't like it?" she asked, leaning down to press kisses along his chest.

"Oh, I like it," he informed her, running his free arm up her back to undo her bra. She grabbed his hand, and set it above his head, as she kissed his lips. "You're not allowed to use either one of your hands," she whispered in his ear. "Understood?"

Mac nodded his head, and watched as Sam crawled off the bed, in just her bra and underwear. "I'll be right back," she informed him, hurrying out of the bedroom. She locked the front door, and then went into the kitchen to grab something from the fridge. And then she hurried back to the bedroom.

"What's that?" Mac asked as she sat a container on her nightstand.

"Icing," she giggled, opening up the container, she used her fingers to scoop some out, and then slapped some on Mac's abs.

"Am I going to get to lick some off you?" Mac asked as Sam licked her fingers, and then crawled back on top of him.

"Maybe later," she said, pressing her lips against his stomach, causing his muscles to flex at the feel of her tongue liking the icing from his body. "If you're a good boy," she said after she licked the icing clean.

"We should fight more often," Mac grinned, causing Sam to let out a giggle, as she tugged at the elastic band on his boxers.

* * *

**thanks reviewers: **

_MissCrys_

_BlueEyedAuthor_

_hope4sall_

_iheartcsinewyork_


	13. Weekend Getaway

Dislcaimer: I do not own. Stinky.

* * *

Rain poured against the outside of the window in their hotel room. Mac's plan was falling apart, he realized as he watched his girlfriend sleep naked beside him. This weather needed to clear up soon. He had agreed to a weekend getaway when Sam mentioned it, because he knew it would be the perfect way to propose. A romantic picnic dinner on the beach, and then a proposal. But the rain was playing with his game. It needed to stop raining before Sam woke up. Because if she even saw that the ground outside was wet, she'd make Mac stay inside and keep her warm all day.

He needed a plan B. How was he going to propose if he couldn't get Sam outside of their room? Maybe he could slip it into her food during room service? No, he read somewhere that women had choked doing that. And it was actually kind of corny. Sam loved the beach, which was why that's where he wanted to propose. But it didn't seem like it was going to happen. Especially if there was high tide because of the storm.

Maybe he could take her to an arcade, and make a bet with her on a game, and purposely lose. And when she asked what her prize was, he could get down on his knee. _Nope, that's really stupid too_, Mac thought, shaking his head. Maybe after they went out to dinner, they could go for a walk on the boardwalk if it wasn't raining, and he could put it on top of her ice-cream cone.

_That's it_, he thought, a smile creeping on his face. He was going to propose on top of the Ferris wheel. Sam had told him that though she was scared of Ferris Wheels, she loved getting on them with dates. It was romantic, and cute that a guy would wrap their arms around her and make her feel safe, even though she was petrified of falling out.

Sam turned in her sleep, and let out a quiet sigh, causing Mac to smile even bigger. He loved watching her turn in her sleep. Especially when she scrunched her nose, and let out a sigh. He lightly ran his fingers through her hair as she continued to sleep, and closed his own eyes. He hated having sleep insomnia.

On the nights that he had a rough day, Sam would give him back massages until he feel asleep, but sleeping in a new environment was something he didn't do very well. Tonight was proving this point. He still had four hours before Sam would wake up. Four hours of pure boredom. Because if he crawled out of bed, he'd stir Sam, and he'd have to explain why he was going for a run in the middle of a thunderstorm.

So he closed his eyes, and he thought of Claire. How happy she'd be for him that he found someone who understood what he went through. How sad she'd be that she couldn't be with him anymore. He missed her curly brown hair and her smile, and the smell of her lavender shampoo. He missed the feel of their fingers touching, and the sound of her laugh whenever he did something wrong as a result of not reading the instructions. He missed the way she'd lightly press a kiss to his nose whenever he told her he loved her, and how she jumped excitedly whenever he had good news for her.

But he also loved the smell of Sam's coconut shampoo, and her brown straight hair. He loved her one dimpled smile, and the way her hazel eyes twinkled with a hint of green whenever he said he loved her. He loved that she could make him fall asleep with the lightest touches and the most soothing words. He loved Claire once. He would always love her, but Sam was his future.

* * *

Samantha slowly opened her eyes and smiled as Mac slept with his mouth agape, and his bare chest uncovered with the linen sheets. She let out a yawn, and then poked him in the chest. "I know you're awake," she mumbled into his neck, pressing kisses to it. She let out a sigh when Mac didn't open his eyes, but she knew he was awake. She could tell because he never slept on his back, and right now this was how he was lying.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and nuzzled into his side as she waited for him to respond.

"How did you know I was awake?" Mac asked, his eyes still closed.

"Because I know everything," Sam informed him with a small giggle. She looked up at him as he opened an eye and gave her a smile. "Morning."

"Good morning," he replied, sitting up to kiss her forehead.

"So. What would you like to do today?" She asked him, sitting up as well. She let the sheet fall from her body, revealing one of her breasts.

Mac wiggled his eyebrows at Sam, causing her to laugh and cover herself up with the sheet. "We can do that later tonight," she told him. "I mean where do you want to go?"

"No where," he smirked, tugging at the sheet. He managed to pull it from her body, and grabbed her arms so she couldn't squirm away.

"Ouch," she laughed, when he accidentally bit her lip too hard. "Okay, how about this? We take a shower together, and then we order some lunch, and then we go to a movie, and walk around the boardwalk a bit, and grab something to eat there, and then we can come back here, and you can do whatever you'd like to me." She gave him a smirk as he registered her proposal, and then nodded his head.

"I love that idea," he smirked. "As long as you get on the Ferris wheel with me."

"Fine," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "As long as you don't let me fall out of the thing. Or shake it."

"Deal," Mac smiled, pulling her out of bed. "Let's get in the shower now. The hot water should last about an hour."

"You _would_ know that," she giggled, wrapping her legs around his waist while he carried her into the bathroom. He set her down on the counter while he turned on the water in the shower that Sam had declared the night before was big enough for five people, and had said "I'm totally getting naked in that shower," before sliding her sweatpants off her body.

Mac slid the door to the stone tiled shower, and picked Sam up from the counter. He set her in the shower, and then climbed in himself. Sam was quick to kiss him as he climbed in until he pinned her against the opposite wall, and set her hands above her head, his tongue traveling her body as the water hit his back.

* * *

Sam let out a shriek as she ran down the boardwalk and away from Mac. He had bought a fake snake from a thrift shop while she was in the bathroom, and he was chasing her with it. He was a lot faster than Samantha was, but he paced himself so he was a few feet behind her while she ran away. "Mac!" She shouted, still running towards the rides. "Mac! Throw that away!"

"No," Mac laughed, still chasing her. Finally he quickened his pace, and dropped the snake as he as he wrapped his arms around Samantha's waist and brought her down onto the boardwalk. He positioned himself so she had landed on him without getting hurt.

"You jerk!" She breathed, trying to squirm from his grip, a smile on her face. "Let go!"

"Say you love me," Mac said, still holding onto her.

"Never!" She screamed, wiggling free, and standing up. She leaned forward and stuck her tongue out at Mac as he stood up.

"Put that thing away or else I'm gonna make you use it."

"Oh, I like that threat," Sam giggled, wrapping her arms around Mac's neck.

"Ehw!" A group of kids shouted from behind Sam. She turned around to see a bunch of underage teenagers with beer bottles in hand, and rolled her eyes. She knew that they'd probably been drinking all day. She'd been there before, with Louie.

"Hey Gramps!" A boy yelled, throwing a bunch of rocks at Sam and Mac.

"What did he just say?" Mac snarled, starting to approached the group. He got into the kid's face and grabbed him by his collar. "That's assault, kid."

"Get your hands off me man. The only person committing a crime is you for fucking that underage girl."

Sam let out a laugh at the boys stupidity as Mac tightened his grip on the boy's collar. "You have three seconds to get the hell out of here before I arrested you for harassing my girlfriend and I!" Mac yelled. He let go of the wide-eyed boy and watched as he and his friends took off away from the couple, never looking back.

Mac watched as Sam stood wide eyed. "I can't believe he called you Gramps," she spoke, shaking her head.

"Well, I'm not a Gramps, so let's not worry about it."

"Worry about it?" Sam asked. "I'm not worried, I'm just in awe."

Mac stood a few feet away from Sam, a look of anger plastered on his face. He was pissed too. It reminded him of how much older he was. Sam could pass as his niece and in some outfits she wore she could pass for 21. He was old enough to be her father on those days. "I thought you didn't care about our age difference," he shrugged.

"You obviously do," Sam shook her head. "You're angry."

"I'm not angry, I'm just…" his voice trailed off. He wasn't sure what he was feeling at the moment.

"I don't care how old you are," Sam continued. "Or how old I am. Or the fact that a bunch of teenage kids who we don't even know think you're old. They're kids they think anyone over 25 is old."

"What about people we'll come across later in life?" Mac asked, walking along side Sam. Ten minutes ago they had been holding hands and giggling, and now they were walking 12 inches apart.

"Mac," Sam started, grabbing his arm to stop him from walking. She placed her hands on either side of his cheeks, and gave him a kiss. "I love you. I don't care what strangers think. Because people that love us know we're happy together. And that's what matters. We're happy."

Mac replied with a kiss, then wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're right," he nodded his head. "Fuck 'em."

Sam gave him a smile, and nodded her head. "Now, let's go have a panic attack on the Ferris wheel," she giggled.

"Good idea," Mac laughed, grabbing her hand as they headed towards the ticket booth.

* * *

Sam buried her head into Mac's side, and clenched her fingernails into his arm as the Ferris wheel came to a complete stop at the top of the wheel. Mac had discreetly paid the guy to make sure he stopped their cart at the top for at least three minutes so he could propose. Apparently 20 bucks is a lot to a ride operator, because he happily accepted.

"Sam," Mac laughed, pulling the box from his sweatshirt. "Look at me."

"No," Sam shook her head, squeezing Mac harder.

"I want to show you something," Mac told her, pulling his arm away from her head. "Just for two seconds."

San slowly looked up and made a weird face at the fact Mac was smiling. "What do you want?"

"I love you, Samantha," Mac spoke, his hands shaking, as he fumbled with the box. He tried to open it, but he was scared he was going to drop it.

"Oh, Mac," Sam gasped, smiling as he managed to open the blue velvet box revealing a ring.

"I ugh…I had something memorized….but I.. I'm gonna wing it. I want to be able to call you mine, and…I want us to be together. I want to be able to call you Mrs. Taylor. I want you to marry me."

Sam wiped away a stay tear from her face and nodded her head. "I want that too," she smiled, as Mac slid the ring on her finger. She pressed her lips against his, and squeezed him tighter to her, part in fear she was going to fall out of the cart, and part because she was in love. "I love you so much," she sighed, kissing him again.

Sam let out a laugh when the Ferris wheel started moving, and nuzzled back into Mac's side. "We're engaged," she giggled, bringing Mac's hand to her lip.

"Yes, we are," Mac smiled, kissing the top of Sam's head. "We're getting married. I wasn't expecting you to cry though."

"They're happy tears," she promised him, looking up at him and giving him a smile. "Because I love you, and you love me."

"Good," Mac smiled, as the ride finished. "Now let's go back to the hotel so I an finish what we agreed on this morning."

"That sounds amazing," Sam agreed, climbing out of the cart. She jumped onto Mac's back and let out a laugh as he carried her the short distance to her hotel. This was the best vacation she'd had since before her mother left her.

* * *

Sam smiled as Stella approached her booth in the corner of the coffee shop. She had figured Stella would want to talk to her after she found out about the engagement. She hadn't been shocked when Stella called her. Stella loved Mac, and Mac loved Stella.

"Congratulations," Stella smiled, embracing Sam.

"Thanks," Sam smiled, sitting back down.

"So? How'd he do it?"

"He paid the guy operating the Ferris wheel 20 bucks to stop it at the top. After I finished having my heart attack he pulled out the box."

"Wow," Stella laughed. "Leave it to Mac to give a gal a heart attack before he pops the question."

"Yeah," Sam nodded her head giving Stella a smile.

"So you love him, huh?"

"Of course I do," Sam nodded her head. She pretended not to be insulted by Stella's question. She knew that Stella had nothing against her, she just wanted to make sure Mac wasn't setting himself up for heartbreak. "He's amazing, Stella. I'm sure you already know that. He just…"Sam shrugged, and gave Stella a smile as she picked at her coffee cop. "He makes everything better for me, and I'm sure I do the same for him. And he puts up with me. He adores me, Stella. I have no idea why but he adores me. And I adore him."

Stella slowly nodded her head. "Okay," she said, sipping at her coffee. "That's what I wanted to hear."

"Yeah?" Sam smirked, giving Stella her one dimpled smile. "Great," she breathed. "I was nervous there for a second."

"Well, you chose your words right," Stell smiled. "I should get back to work."

"Yeah." Sam stood up and gave Stella another hug. "Thank you. It was nice to talk to you."

"Yes," Stella agreed, walking with Sam to the exit. "Thanks for meeting with me. I know I can be a bit stubborn at times."

"It's fine," Sam assured her, as they started to go their separate ways. "I'm glad we talked."

"I'll se you," Stella nodded waving goodbye to Sam. Sam nodded her head in agreement. She was expecting a longer, more nerve wrecking talk. But Stella just needed to hear the truth. Sam and Mac were good for each other.


	14. Nerves

**A/N:** Wow. It's been forever. I apologize. It's no excuse. But here is the reasoning behind my absence. Poor 'Ole Betsy (my very ratted and abused Mac Laptop) sadly passed away at age 4. I'm kidding I never named this badboy. But he did decide to go fry on me. Erasing everything my precious heart took pride in. Including the 14th chapter of Screaming Chapter, the next four chapters of Souls in the Wind, the next two of Walk On, and a one shot I had been working on. I was so devastated that the Techies weren't as smart as Adam and couldn't recover my hard-drive. :( I didn't write because I was pissed I had most of the chapter done, and even the first two of the sequel, that my muse for everything went away. And I forced myself to write this chapter, deciding that if I could get through this one, my muse would come back. I apologize for the randomness, and shitty material. Ehw that is such an ugly word..but anyway. This is what I tried to salvage from my memory of what I had written....

**Disclaimer: **Do not own.

* * *

Samantha Parker let out a loud sigh, as she twirled around in an ugly puffy wedding dress. Dee had said she loved it, Angell had given her a weird look, and Annemarie tried to tell her in a polite way that the thing was hideous.

"I look like a bird," Sam finally said, as she tugged at some of the feathers decorating her hips.

Angell nodded her head in agreement, and let out a laugh. "I'm sorry, Dee. I don't want to insult you on the first day I meet you, but that thing looks like someone squirted syrup on her and then hit her in the head with a pillow."

"Thank you," Annemarie breathed. "Where's Stella?"

"She's working late, she'll be here in a bit," Sam informed the group. She let out another sigh as she stepped down from the mirrors. Right now, she hated her mother for leaving her.

Her mother should be here with she and her friends, making stupid jokes about the hideous wedding dresses that she was trying on. Her mother should be trying to convince Sam that she looked beautiful in the bird dress, not Dee. Dee was supposed to tell her the truth. Dee knew this, and Sam knew she was trying to play the motherly role for Sam.

"I think she looks beautiful in anything," Dee said, standing up. She stood next to Sam and glanced in the mirror.

"I look like a fucking bird, Dee," Sam snorted.

"No you don't," Dee shook her head. She set a peacock feather in Sam's hair. "Now you do." Sam let out a giggle, and nodded her head in agreement. And then she stuck her hands under her armpits, wiggled them like wings and let out a chirping noise causing everyone to let out a laugh.

"Next one!" Sam said, jumping from the platform in front of the giant mirror, and hurrying towards the red satin curtain to change into yet another dress. Dee followed to help her get out of the feather invested gown, and let out a sigh.

"Hopefully this one is it, so we can get the fuck out of here," Dee said, brushing back her newly dyed bright red hair. If there was one thing about Dee to remember, it was she never had the same hair color in for more than 6 weeks.

Sam nodded her head, and stepped out of the dress, and grabbed the next one. A simple white, strapless dress with a sweetheart neck line, and beads forming from the stomach up to her chest. She stepped into it and pulled her hair out of the way so Dee could zip up the back. "Oh Sammie," Dee gasped, causing Sam's eyes to widen.

"Do I look fat in it?" Sam asked, squeezing her stomach in the dress. "Does it make me look pale? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing! It's so gorgeous! Turn around and look!" Dee grabbed Sam by her shoulders and turned her towards a mirror in their dressing room.

"It is!" Sam gasped, twirling around in the mirror. "I love it!"

"This is the one," Dee agreed, running her hand along the sequined beads, a smile on her face, pulling back the red curtain to allow Sam out of the dressing room where her friends were waiting. Stella, now joining them.

She walked back onto the platform and twirled around for them. "That's it!" Angell smiled, nodding her head. "It's so pretty!"

"And it's definitely you," Annemarie agreed. "I love it Sammie!"

"Thanks," Sam giggled. "I think I love it too."

"You should!" Stella smiled. "It's beautiful. Mac is going to be so mesmerized by you in this dress! Have you set the date yet?"

"May 20th. We want a spring wedding. We're doing white and green. White roses, with green mini carnations. It's a bit early, but it'll be small. And we actually already sent out invitations. You guys should be getting them soon. Dee, I was hoping you'd be my made of honor. And of course you all will be my bride's maids. If you'd like. I know it's short notice. I understand if you have plans."

"I'm there," Stella smiled. "Green looks good on me. Have you picked out bride's maid dresses?"

"Not yet," Sam shook her head. "That'll be next weekend, I hope. I just want to take this thing one step at a time. We've only invited 75 people. So we're not goingto do seating arrangements. And It's going to be at a hotel, so we've got special rates for everyone who would like to stay for the night so they don't have to worry about driving home."

"Who's gonna be Mac's best man?" Annemarie asked. "Doesn't he have like…zero friends?"

"Hey," Stella said, clearing her throat.

"I mean guy friends."

"He's going to ask one of his marine friends," Sam explained. "And I guess my brothers will be in it too. Leo is gonna be the ring bearer. We don't have a flower girl yet."

"Let's get you out of this thing so we can eat lunch!" Dee said, grabbing Sam's arm, and tugging her towards the dressing room again.

* * *

Mac watched as Sam ate her dinner without talking. She didn't even look up from her plate. He knew something was wrong. He could tell she was upset. "What's up?" he asked her. Sam shook her head, and rested her elbow on the table, her hand meeting with her chin.

"I'm fine," she told him, blinking back a stray tear.

"Sammie."

"I hate my mother," she sighed, shaking her head. "But you know that."

"I know," he agreed, nodding his head. "But why is this a problem today?"

Sam shook her head and bit her lip. "There were so many people today with their mothers picking out dresses. And I'm just with my bride's maids. My Mom should be helping me with this stuff, yah know?" She glanced at Mac and then looked at her food. "My Dad called her."

"Why? How?"

"Apparently they've been in contact with each other for over a year," she shrugged her shoulders, her bangs falling in her face as she glanced at her plate. "She had the audacity to call me. She fucking called me and she tried to meet with me for coffee."

"You don't want to?"

"That's a stupid question, Mac. I never want to see her again. I've had to live without her for 17 years. I don't need her, I don't want her."

"Our wedding is in 3 months," Mac said, reaching for Sam's hand. "I'd like to meet her. Even if it's just once. And we'll never have to talk to her again."

Sam slowly shook her head. "I don't want her coming to the wedding. I don't want you meeting her. I don't want her in our life! She left me, Mac. She left me with three brothers and a father to take care of when I was just 15 years old. She can't just come back in my life and act like everything is okay. That I don't hate her. Because I do. And I don't want to see her face. I don't want her near us. Or our kids. When we have children, she's going to want them in her life. And I don't want that."

"Now you're being unfair, Sam," Mac said, setting his hand over hers on the table, and lightly squeezing in support.

Sam moved her hand from the table, and scooted her chair back. "I'm being unfair that I don't want them to have to watch their grandmother walk away from them?"

"We don't even have children yet," Mac sighed. "You're getting ahead of yourself. Just let her come to the wedding."

"No. It's my wedding and I don't want her there. I hate her. She doesn't deserve to be at my wedding. And we may not have children yet, Mac. But if we ever do, I don't want them to be around her. She hurt me. She hurt my father and my brothers, and I'm not gonna let her hurt them. Or Leo. She doesn't deserve to know him."

"Okay," Mac whispered, nodding his head. "I want to meet her though, Sam. I have a right to know my fiancé's mother. Just one time and I'll never mention her again."

"Promise."

"I promise," Mac nodded his head, watching Sam bite her lip in contemplation.

"Fine," she whispered. "But she's not coming here. I don't want her near my home."

"Okay," Mac whispered, nodding his head.

"I'm tired, I'm gonna go to bed early," she said, grabbing her plate to set it in the dish washer.

* * *

Sam sat down besides Mac at her father's kitchen table. She didn't want to be here, and she was thankful Timmy had opted out, deciding Leo didn't need to meet his grandmother. Mac watched as Samantha's mother sat across from them, clearly nervous about meeting with her daughter.

Earlier, when Samantha and Mac had come to Mr. Parker's home, Sam had brushed off the hug Tammy Parker had attempted giving her. The atmosphere was cold. Sam wasn't talking to her mother.

"So. Mac, right?" Tammy asked, biting into the chicken Mr. Parker had cooked on his new grill. He'd been excited to show of his new toy to Mac and Sam. Sam had rolled her eyes while Mac had pretended to give a shit to humor the poor old guy.

"Yes ma'am," Mac nodded his head, cutting into the chicken as he did so. He glanced at Sam who had been playing with her mashed potatoes for the past five minutes.

"You're older…"

"Yes," Mac nodded his head.

"How old exactly?"

"Why the hell does it matter," Sam rolled her eyes, finally taking her first bite of her dinner.

"Well, because it does," Tammy shook her head. "I'm looking out for you."

"Oh," Sam nodded her head. "Well in that case. If you were looking out for me," she shrugged. "Oh wait. This is Tammy Parker we're talking about. She only cares about drugs and herself."

"Sammie," Mac whispered at the same time her father shot her a dirty look.

"I deserve that," Tammy nodded her head.

"Yes, you do," Sam said, stabbing her chicken with her knife.

"Well," Mr. Parker started. "Mac was in the Marine's, Tam."

"That's nice," Tammy nodded her head, at the same time Sam slammed her fork into her plate and stood up from the table.

"Sam," Mr. Parker sighed, standing up as well.

"God, how can you act like everything is okay!" Sam yelled. "She left you with four kids!"

"Sam," Mr. Parker sighed. "I'm trying to make amends!"

"I don't give a shit," Sam replied, pushing her chair in, and leaving the house.

"I've got it, Stan," Mac waved him off, standing up. He walked down the sidewalk and towards the boardwalk, where he knew she'd go. If it was up to her she'd live on the beach in a tent. The sound of the waves crashing against the surface of the sand calmed her. The scent of the ocean relaxed her. Even just the feel of the sand between her toes lowered her blood pressure.

Mac watched from the boardwalk, as she slipped her flip-flops from her feet, and picked them up as she walked along the sand, towards the ocean. Her brunette waves blew in the wind as she set her feet in the water. She needed her space, he knew. But he also knew that it comforted her to know he was there. She turned and saw him in the distance, her eyes squinting as she looked for him, leaning against the railing separating sand from boardwalk. He took it as an indication he could talk to her. He kicked his own shoes off and headed towards her.

"I'm sorry," he informed her, standing besides her.

"I know," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I just can't even look at her, Mac. I don't want her at our wedding. I don't care if I hurt her feelings, or my Dad's."

"I know," Mac nodded his head.

"God. And she acts like she cares about me. I mean what does she care how old you are? Seriously. She probably couldn't even tell you my birthday."

"You're probably right," Mac nodded his head allowing Sam to continue to vent.

"What if I wind up being a horrible mother like her and our kid or kids hate me?"

"That won't happen, Samantha," Mac promised her. "You're nothing like your mother."

"I hope," she whispered. "I don't wanna go back there."

"I can grab the car and pick you up here," he offered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Thanks," Sam whispered.

"Alright. I'll walk back and get the car. I'll meet you in the parking lot, okay?"

Sam nodded her head and watched as Mac walked away.

* * *

"My stomach hurts," she whined, shaking her head. "I change my mind. I don't like this dress. I look so ugly."

"You do not," Dee Storm rolled her eyes, grabbing Samantha's arms as she stood in a simple strapless white dress, her baby bump barely visible. It had taken four people to finally zip the dress up, and she had passed it up as eating too much ice cream the weeks before out of nerves.

"You may have gained a few pounds, but your boobs look way better in this dress then they did before. Mac's not gonna know what to do with those girls," Dee continued, Stella and Lindsay coming in view in their mint green bride's maids' dresses.

"Sammie, you look gorgeous," Lindsay promised her, handing her the bouquet of flowers she'd later throw into a group of single women determined to be the next bride.

"Really?" Sam sighed in relief tucking a curl behind her ear, while Dee set a barrette with a white gold flower where Sam had just tucked her hair.

"Something new," Dee smiled. "And something borrowed at the same time. Because I want that back."

"So I need something old and something blue, right?" Sam asked.

"Something old," Stella nodded her head, opening a box of black pearl earrings. "These belonged to my great grandmother."

"Oh Stella," Sam shook her head. "I couldn't."

"I'm insisting."

Sam slowly nodded her head and took the earrings.

"I've got the something blue," Lindsay smiled, handing Sam a small blue ribbon. "Mrs. Taylor slipped it to me this morning. It was Mac's when he was born. It's part of his stuffed animal he had. She said you could wrap it around the bouquet."

"Awe," Sam smiled, wiping tears from her eyes. "His elephant," she laughed.

"I'm not even gonna ask," Dee laughed. "You ready girl? You're on in ten minutes."

"I'm nervous," Sam breathed. "And you can totally tell I ate too much pizza," she cried, patting her belly. "I look huge."

"It's not even noticeable," Dee promised her, grabbing her hands and moving them in front of her stomach. "There. The flowers hide it. And when you're holding Mac's hands, the people won't even notice."

"Okay," Sam nodded her head. "I'm ready."

* * *

Mac Taylor let out a deep breath as he set the gold cuff links on the cuffs of his black tuxedo. His father had worn them over 50 years ago when he married Mrs. Taylor. Mrs. Taylor had conveniently found them a few days ago after cleaning out boxes of his father's belongings.

Sam had asked him to wear his Marine blues, but when he pulled them from the back of the closet to make sure they still fit, they'd come to a quick conclusion that he had put on a few pounds since his 20s. She had shrugged it off and said she didn't care. Seeing him in a tux would be just as sexy as the blues.

"Groom to be," a voice called from behind him, causing him to spin around as he got pulled from his trained of thought. Lieutenant Robin Smith stood in a tux, a grin on his face.

"Smith," Mac grinned, shaking hands with the older man, and then embracing him. "Good to see you after all these years."

"It is," the bald man smirked. "Though I can't lie and say I missed it. Your face meant battle time, Taylor. And my wife's got a much prettier one."

Mac gave him a grin. "Agreed. How are she and the kids?"

"Great. So you ready to get hitched man? Aint no picnic in the park."

Mac nodded his head. "You forgetting you and Whitney were at my first wedding, Smith?"

"Oh right. This isn't your first mistake," Lieutenant Smith winked. "I got the rings, pal. So don't worry."

"Great," Mac breathed nodding his head.

"You nervous?"

"Oh yeah," he smiled. "A good nervous, though. I'm going to be a husband in an hour."

"Freaky."

The two went into an awkward silence, both not wanting to bring up the absence of fellow platoon member, Stan Whitney. Every time Mac looked at himself in the mirror, and ran his fingers of the scar on his chest, he thought of the day Whitney died in the bombing during their time in Beirut.

If Corporal Whitney were here, he'd have patted Mac on the back with his crooked grin, and he'd have made sure Mac got wasted the night before his big day. He would have tried to convince Mac not to get hitched_. "The single life is so much better,"_ he'd grin, trying to get his buddies to agree._ "Chicks dig our uniform, bros. Wifeys, they take advantage of our chivalry." _Mac heard the same words every time Whitney had a few too many, while Mac was using his time to call Claire. _"She's got you whipped. Those cute little innocent ones at the bar, they'll show you a good time, Taylor."_

Mac grinned at his long time Marine pal. "We need to toast," he said, heading towards a table where a tray of liquor sat. "Gin, scotch, rum. Take your pick."

"Scotch," Smith nodded his head. "For Whitney."

"For Whitney," Mac nodded his head, pouring two glasses.


	15. Good News

_A/N: Once again, Epic fail and it's been awhile! And this is the last chapter... _

_Disclaimer: I do not own! _

* * *

Sam let out a sigh as she waited patiently for Mac to slide the keycard into the hotel room where they would be staying until the next morning, and leave on a flight to Miami for a five-day honeymoon. Sam hadn't wanted a long honeymoon, knowing that Mac would go through withdrawals away from his lab for too long. Three of the five days Mac had off, and the other two had been taken from his sick days. So really, he'd only be missing two days of work.

The decision for Miami had been made when both decided it would be too tiring to go farther away and only be able to stay for three days instead of five. It would take over 12 hours to get to Hawaii, where as Miami would only be an hour and 15 minute plane ride.

"I'm wiped," Sam yawned again following Mac into the hotel room. She leaned against his left shoulder to take her heels off, and threw them against a wall, already heading for the bed, Mac heading for the fridge where he knew a bottle of her favorite wine was. He'd asked room service to put it in there for them before they got there.

"Same," Mac agreed, opening the fridge, and grabbing two wine glasses, heading over to the bed. He set them on the nightstand, and grabbed the wine bottle opener, sitting at the edge of the bed as Sam scooted closer to him from behind, her arms wrapping around his stomach.

"I don't want one," she told him, kissing the side of his chin., her fingers undoing the buttons on the white tuxedo shirt Mac rented for the day's occasion.

"You sure?" he asked, turning to look at her. He watched her nod her head and shrugged, setting the bottle on the nightstand, turning to look at her. "What's up? You didn't drink anything other than water today, and I'm practically swaggering over while your more sober than I've ever seen you when alcohol is put in front of you. Are you sick?"

"No," Sam laughed, shaking her head. "I just didn't feel like drinking," she told him, as he situated himself against the head board, undoing the bow-tie, and setting it on the night stand, while Sam continued to unbutton his shirt.

"You need help with that zipper?" Mac asked, raising an eyebrow at his new wife.

She blushed a bit, but nodded her head. "Yes," she admitted. "It was hell trying to zip it up. I'll bet you won't even be able to get it undone. It's gonna get stuck, I can feel it."

"No," Mac shook his head as Sam turned her back towards him. "I'm sure you'll be fine." His lightly pressed his hands against her back, and tried to gently tug the zipper.

"It's stuck, isn't it?" Sam whined, when she felt Mac tug a bit harder.

"No," Mac shook his head. "I'm sure it just needs a good…yank."

"Oh my God I'm so fat," she cried, shaking her head, moving away from Mac.

"No you're not," Mac sighed, rolling his eyes. He hated these moments with Claire, he was definitely going to hate them with Sam.

"Two months ago this thing fit me!" she whined, standing up from the bed, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Babe," Mac sighed, standing up as well. "You're just getting some hips. I like hips."

"Hips!" Sam gasped. "Hips mean thunder thighs!"

Mac stopped, unsure of what to say. This was he first "chubby crisis" as he liked to call them, with Sam. Claire, all he had to say was he liked the way her ass moved, or how great her chest looked in a shirt and she'd be fine. Apparently that approach didn't work with Sam. Strike one.

"Well I don't know, honey. You work out with me all the time. You are in shape babe," he sighed. "When we get home we'll go for a nice run, okay? Maybe you're just stressed. But I promise. You don't look fat. Especially not in that dress. You look hot, babe. I promise. I wouldn't make that up."

"Whatever," she mumbled. "Just get this stupid thing off me." She folded her arms across her chest, and waited patiently for Mac to try and tug at the zipper.

"Sammie," he whispered letting out a sigh. "We might need to cut it."

"No!" she shouted, pushing against her boobs. "I'll suck in. You're not cutting this dress. Just try one more time, Mac. Humor me."

"Okay," Mac sighed, grabbing the zipper as Sam sucked in. He tugged it as hard as he could without the zipper busting, and managed to get it to move about an inch. "See if you can wiggle out.

"Wiggle out?" Sam sighed. "Mac."

"Sam?" Mac asked, raising an eyebrow at her, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Fine. I'll wiggle out," she sighed. She wiggled her hips and tugged at the dress, and then stepped out.

"See. Was that so hard?" Mac asked her.

"Yes," she grumbled, walking to the bed in just a pair of ivory colored panties, having not worn a bra in the strapless dress.

"Sammie what's wrong?" Mac asked, watching her crawl under the covers, her curled hair still pinned back.

Sam reached for her hair and began to pull pins out. "I didn't drink today because…" she started, watching Mac had back towards the bed. "I took a pregnancy test last night." She let out a sigh, watching Mac's eyes widen. "It was positive, honey," she spoke, as Mac leaned down and kissed her lips. "I have a doctor's appointment as soon as we get back. I guess I'm just stressed about it," she shrugged. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap on you."

"It's fine," Mac promised, pressing a kiss to her lips again, as he fell onto the bed, his hands cupping her face as he kissed her more passionately. "I love you," he whispered, pulling away.

"I know," she smiled, unbuttoning the pants button on his pants, and tugging them off so he sat in just his boxers and an undershirt. "I love you too," she told him, running her hands through his hair.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXX**_

Sam let out a sigh and set her towel on the sand. "What?" Mac asked her as she stood over the towel.

She turned to look at him, as he plopped his beach chair down on top of his towel, trying his best to keep from getting sandy. He methodically sat on the chair and glanced at Sam, waiting for her answer. "I can't lay on my stomach," she whined, sitting on the towel. "This is torture!"

Mac stared at the sand in thought for a second. "I have an idea."

"Okay," she spoke, scrunching her eyebrows in confusion. She watched him carefully stand up.

"So much for not getting sandy," he sighed, kneeling on the sand, and using his hand to dig a hole.

"What are you doing?" she asked, watching him dig a tiny hole.

"Well," he started, sitting up. "That way your stomach doesn't touch the ground. I bet pregnant people do it all the time. Though it's easy since you don't exactly have a belly yet."

Sam shrugged, and tested it out. "It fits!" she smiled. "I knew I married you for a reason. You're so smart baby."

"Now I need to go get in the water," he sighed, standing up and looking at the sand stuck to his legs.

"Just wipe it off, honey. You'll be fine." She watched him as he let out a groan, and attempted to wipe off his legs, but failed.

"I hate the beach," he mumbled, walking off towards the ocean.

Sam let out a yawn and closed her eyes, balling her towel into a pillow to rest her head on it. She had to admit, digging a hole for her stomach had been a smart idea. Now he just had to do it for the next few days. He'd totally love that.

_**XXXXXXXXXX**_

Mac opened the door to his office, and immediately set his navy blue blazer on his coat rack, his tie coming off just as quickly. He began to roll up the sleeves on his red button shirt, a groan escaping his mouth as he approached his desk. Paperwork covered the desk. He'd be working late tonight, he already established.

He sat on his computer chair, and grabbed a pen to begin to start working on the work. He needed to sign off on cases, and clear tests and experiments. And he needed to make sure the lab didn't go up in flames. But he hated the paperwork.

His door swung open, a smiling Stella walking in. "Missed you, pal. How was the honey moon?"

Mac nodded his head. "Good, Stell," he smiled, looking up from his paperwork. He set his pen down and watched her walk closer.

"Just good?" Stella asked, her hands moving as she spoke. "That's all you're going to give me?"

"Fine," Mac laughed. "We had a great time. Other than the fact I hate sand and we were on the beach for about six hours three of the days. The food was good where we ate though. And…I'm not sure what else you'd like me to say."

"How about the weather?"

"Beautiful. Only rained four about ten minutes and we were leaving for the airport when it started."

"Good. Good. How is Sam doing? Is she happy?"

"She's good," Mac smiled, glancing at his watch. She was actually on her way to the hospital. "She goes back to work in two days. She's probably gossiping to her girlfriends."

"That Dee girl is quite something," Stella agreed, letting out a laugh. "I think I saw her flirting with…. Adam, Flack, _and_ Hawkes."

"Wouldn't put it past her," Mac chuckled, sitting forward in his chair. "Well. If you don't mind helping me with this paper work, you can stay. Otherwise, I've gotta kick you out. I'm gonna be here all night."

"Oh. I don't wanna leave your wife waiting for you on your first real night together," Stella smiled, giving Mac a wink. "See yah later."

"Bye Stella." Mac smiled, turning to his phone when it began to rang. "Detective Taylor."

"Hi Daddy," Sam's voice boomed through the phone. Mac couldn't help but crack a smile as he heard Sam greet him. "11 weeks along. They're thinking he'll be due sometime in January. I hope the first. Babies born on the first are lucky."

"That's great news," Mac spoke. "Did they say when you'd go back?"

"I made an appointment for the middle of July," she explained. "If all goes well then we can start telling people after that one."

"That sounds like a good plan," Mac nodded his head, though Sam couldn't see.

"Yeah. Well I gotta go get some grocerries for dinner tonight," she informed Mac. "I love you."

"Love you too," he smiled, hanging up the phone.

* * *

_So... I've kinda decided this is the end. Especially since I am indeed working on the sequel! I promise I promise. Once I get the plot line it'll be going, any ideas would be nice! I've got about a chapter and a half written and am stuck because I believe it is time for an actual plot to come into play. So keep an eye out! And I would like to thank all my reviewers you've all kept me going! And hopefully will continue when I get the sequel up. _

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